Ventnor esplanade collapse prompts 'stay away' warning

A large void has opened up underneath Ventnor's promenade

People are being urged to heed the closure of a section of promenade on the Isle of Wight following a collapse.

Isle of Wight Council said "pounding waves" had caused two large concrete panels to break up and a 25ft (7.6m) hole to open along Ventnor esplanade.

The authority said: "We cannot stress strongly enough the need for people to stay away from the site."

The section near Ventnor Skatepark first suffered cracking on 4 November following storms.

Since then the council said the damage had worsened after high tides and several days of "pounding waves which have battered the eastern promenade".

Natasha Dix, the council's strategic manager for environment, said: "It would be extremely dangerous for anyone to try to walk along there and we would ask everyone to respect the closure for their own safety."

The authority said it was being monitored daily and a plan for repairs was being drawn up with the Environment Agency.