Sidmouth cliff falls send clouds of dust into air

A series of cliff falls has sent huge clouds of dust into the air at a Devon seaside resort.

The first fall at Sidmouth was reported to coastguards at Solent at 09:30 BST.

It was among two large falls and a number of smaller falls at East Beach which occurred about "every half hour", said local Vikki Cunliffe.

A coastguard team from nearby Beer was sent to the first fall and a check of the area found no casualties and no-one at risk of injury, said coastguards.

Dust was seen along the beach and several metres out to sea, according to a video of the fall in an area, which is notorious for cliff collapses.

Sidmouth resident Mrs Cunliffe was heading to the beach with relatives when the first collapse happened.

The area has warning signs urging sightseers to stay away

"It was definitely the largest I have seen there," she said.

"There was another big fall later, and many smaller falls. It's been going on every half-an-hour.

"Thank goodness it was not last week during the Sidmouth Folk Festival, when there were a lot of people walking underneath there."

The area has warning signs urging sightseers to stay away.

The Sidmouth Independent Lifeboat crew posted on Facebook: "Please do not walk on East Beach, there have been multiple cliff falls today - these can happen at any time, on any day and without any warning.

"The best way to stay safe is to keep away," the crew added.

Houses on Cliff Road above the falls have lost large chunks of their gardens over the years.