Parton landslide: Klaxon installed to warn at-risk homes

The landslip on the hill is directly behind the local school and some houses

Residents living within a cordon close to a landslip in a Cumbrian village have been told not to return home amid a "risk to public safety".

Cracks began to appear in the hill behind Main Street, Parton last Wednesday, forcing 14 houses to be evacuated.

A klaxon warning system has been set up should the homes need to be immediately cleared, Cumbria County Council said.

Geo-engineers have begun work to discover why the hill is moving.

The steep hill where the cracks appeared is directly behind a row of homes, a play park and the village school, St Bridget's, which is attended by 99 children and closed for summer.

Many families were moved to temporary accommodation while more permanent plans were arranged.

"Risk to public safety remains and evacuation and road closures remain in place," a council spokesperson said.

"We are not yet able to confirm how long these arrangements will remain in place due to ongoing survey work and monitoring of the stability of the slope."

Worried residents contacted the county council about the cracks in the land

Specialist contractors spent the weekend clearing vegetation from the hillside to allow engineers to monitor it for movement.

Residents living within the fenced cordon are being hand-delivered letters by emergency teams, warning them about the klaxon.

People outside the cordon do not need to evacuate if they hear the klaxon sounded, the council said.

St Bridget's School is communicating directly with families to talk to them about options for September, which include a one-to-two-week period of remote learning with longer term plans for education on an alternative local site being developed in case they are needed.