Looe main access roads hit by landslips

The landslips in Looe will take several days to clear

Landslips have blocked one of the main routes into the Cornish town of Looe and partially blocked another.

The A387 at Sandplace Road has been closed while the B3253 St Martin's Hill is under traffic light control, letting one lane of traffic through at a time.

Engineers from Cornwall Council said it would take several days to clear the roads.

Elsewhere, an extra pump has been brought in to help stop water from the old Wheal Jane tin mine overflowing.

The only access route taking traffic as normal after the landslips was Polperro Hill on the western side, the council said.

It added: "Highway engineers are carrying out further investigations to assess the extent of the damage and will undertake remedial works to the road when these investigations are complete.

Contaminated water

"Measures are also being put in place to reduce the risk of further damage over the weekend when further bad weather is expected."

The coastal town and port has a population of about 5,000.

At Wheal Jane, the extra pump is part of efforts to help stop water from the mine overflowing and polluting the Carnon valley.

The water from the mine is contaminated with a range of metals which, untreated, could impact on shellfish and other ecology in the Fal Estuary.

The new pump brings the total in use at the mine to nine.

Cornwall Fire Service said water levels had stopped rising.

The levels were being carefully monitored by the Environment Agency, it added.