Watchet road at risk of falling down cliff closed

Somerset County Council is carrying out investigations into the road's safety

A road at risk of falling down a cliff has been closed due to safety concerns.

The B3191 Cleeve Hill, near Watchet, has been closed due to movement along the coastal slope.

"The rain water has soaked through to the rocks and into the soil and it has made the whole system unstable," said Somerset geologist Dr Andy King.

Somerset County Council said it is working to come up with a plan, but that "it is not going to be a quick process".

The B3191 Cleeve Hill has been closed indefinetely due to movement along the slope

Dr King said they had noticed a "large number" of cracks in the rock were opening up.

Improvements to the road were made last August but the geotechnical challenges affecting the cliff face are "complex and require a high degree of monitoring", according to Somerset County Council's highways team.

Councillor Mike Rigby, portfolio holder for planning and transport, said: "The message we are trying to get across to people is it is potentially hazardous, so do not try and drive through it and do not try and walk through it either.

"We will go through with the investigations and come up with a plan but it is not going to be a quick process."