Burrows gate closed 'after near-misses in lane'

The Burrows is part of a Site of Special Scientific Interest

An entrance to a popular north Devon beauty spot has been closed for safety reasons, a council says.

A gate from Westward Ho! into Northam Burrows has been shut to traffic except emergency vehicles because of congestion in a nearby lane, Torridge District Council said.

It said congestion in the narrow lane led to "several near misses" between vehicles and pedestrians in 2012.

Entrances at Sandymere or Watertown should be used instead, it added.

The Burrows, near Bideford, is part of a Site of Special Scientific Interest.

It features a Blue Flag beach and part of it is also within a Unesco biosphere reserve.