Walkers urged to avoid coast path after landslip

The coast path runs close to the cliff edge at Atherfield Point (image from 2023)

Walkers have been asked to avoid a section of coast path after a landslip.

Part of the cliffs at Atherfield Point on the south-west coast of the Isle of Wight collapsed on Saturday.

Five days earlier, a Facebook post appeared to show a large crack in the footpath which runs near the cliff edge.

Isle of Wight Council said its officers were checking to see if further land movements might occur.

In a statement, it said: "Islanders are being asked to stay away from Atherfield Point along the cliff and coastal paths due to ground movement.

"The Isle of Wight Council's Rights of Way team are currently assessing the coastal path."

On Wednesday, a Facebook community page carried an image of a large crack crossing a footpath in a field.

The contributor warned that cracks had appeared at Atherfield Point in the last week.

The south coast of the island has experienced several recent major landslips.

In 2024, a council director warned that the Military Road, which runs near Atherfield Point, could fall into the sea within two years.