Dozens of beachgoers defy safety warnings and flock to Dorset seaside where ... trends now
Dozens of beachgoers flocked to a 'very dangerous' Dorset beach just hours after tonnes of rocks collapsed from a cliff landslide.
Visitors were urged to take care at Charmouth Beach following the rockfall at around 7.30am this morning, close to where a teenage boy was rescued by coastguards on Friday evening.
Despite the risk of further falls from the unstable cliffs, multiple people were spotted close to the fallen debris.
People are urged to avoid the area of the collapse and experts warn that another landslip could happen at any moment.
Phil Davidson, a palaeontologist from the Charmouth Heritage Centre, said: 'When we arrived we saw the aftermath. It came down about 7.30am this morning and bits are still falling - it's very dangerous - stay well away from the exposed cliff line.
Visitors were urged to take care at Charmouth Beach following the rockfall at around 7.30am this morning. Pictured, visitors around the site of the recent collapse despite warnings
People are urged to avoid the area of the collapse and experts warn that another landslip could happen at any moment
Fossil hunters are pictured out in force searching the rock and clay. There has been several collapses in recent weeks following storms
'All the rain we have had this winter and spring is seeping through the mud and clay, we will probably end up with some more landslides.
'As it's a fresh fall it will be sticky if you try and climb over it, and you could twist an ankle and get stuck.
'People should also check the tides as there is a danger of getting cut off from the tide.
'In some ways, we are lucky it happened at 7.30am in the morning when no one was on the beach and not yesterday when the beach was packed.
'We have had the coastguard down this morning to take a look at it and the Jurassic Coast Fossil Warden is here to give people warnings.'
A 14-year-old boy got stuck on the cliff at around 5pm on Friday while looking for fossils - just 50ft away from this morning's rockfall.
It prompted a major rescue with two teams of coastguards and two teams of firefighters attending to get the boy down, who was stuck 36ft up the cliff.
A paraglider flies over the new large landslip on the cliffs of Stonebarrow Hill which is partially blocking the beach at Charmouth
Despite the risk of further falls from the unstable cliffs, multiple people were spotted close to the fallen debris
Thankfully he was safely returned to the beach and his family.
Anna
