Cottage left teetering on cliff edge after massive Jurassic Coast landslip
A house has been left teetering on the brink of a 122m (400ft) drop after a massive cliff fall along the Jurassic Coast.
The collapse last weekend of a huge portion of the cliff at Jacob’s Ladder Beach between Sidmouth and Ladram Bay saw tonnes of debris come crashing down and prompted the local authority to close the popular coastal path in Devon for safety reasons.
It caused a smaller rockfall directly below a thatched cottage, leaving it just 12m (40ft) from the edge of the unstable Sidmouth cliffs.
Dramatic aerial pictures show just how close the thatched cottage is to the cliff edge – as well as the magnitude of the landslip when part of the 185 million-year old sandstone cliffs collapsed.
A rockfall between Sidmouth and Ladram Bay. Pic: PA
The cottage is teetering on the edge of the cliff. Pic: PA
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“Following a cliff fall at Jacob’s Ladder Beach in Sidmouth, we’d like to remind visitors to keep their distance from cliffs along the East Devon coastline,” East Devon District Council warned in a social media post.
“Cliff falls are a natural and unpredictable occurrence along the East Devon coast.
“This is because the rock from which the cliffs are formed is soft, and therefore prone to rock falls, and landslides, which can happen at any time.”
Pic: PA
The local authority reminded visitors to “stay well clear” of the cliffs when walking on the beach, with the coastguard advising that beach users put a distance equivalent to the height of the cliff between them and the cliff base.
Following a similar collapse at the same location last year, coastal scientist Vicky Walkley had warned cliff falls were “very difficult” to predict, and could be contributed to by both heavy rainfall and warm sunshine.
A man who died after being hit by a bus in Edinburgh has been named.
Michael Leneghen, 74, died after being struck at around 7.25pm on Saturday 2 November in the Cowgate area of the city.
On the day of the incident, police issued a warning for members of the public not to share distressing images and videos circulating online.
In a statement, Mr Leneghen’s family thanked members of the public and emergency services who were involved and asked for privacy.
A single-decker bus collided with Mr Leneghen, who was on foot, Police Scotland say.
Sergeant Paul Ewing of Edinburgh‘s road policing unit said the force’s thoughts were with Mr Leneghen’s family and friends “as well as everyone affected by this tragic incident”.
“Our enquiries remain ongoing. We have already spoken to a number of people who were in the area at the time and work is ongoing to check public and private CCTV footage,” he added.
“We are still keen to hear from anyone who has not yet spoken to police.”
Chief Inspector Trisha Clark, the local area commander, previously said police were “aware of videos and images circulating on social media which are causing distress to the deceased’s family”.
“We would ask members of the public not to share them out of respect for his family, and to report them to the relevant social media platform to prevent further circulation,” she added.
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Ms Clark added that while there had been a lot of speculation, it was an “isolated incident” and there was “no risk to the wider public”.
Officers have asked anyone with information which could help the police investigation to get in touch.
MP Mike Amesbury has been charged with common assault following an incident in Frodsham, Cheshire, last month.
The charge comes after a video emerged of him appearing to punch a man to the ground.
Cheshire Police said the 55-year-old will appear at a magistrates court at a later date to face the assault charge.
In a statement, police said the charge “relates to reports of an assault on a 45-year-old man on Main Street, Frodsham, which was reported to police at 2.48am on Saturday 26 October”.
Rosemary Ainslie, head of the Crown Prosecution Service’s special crime division, said: “Following a review of the evidence provided by Cheshire Police, we have authorised a charge of common assault against Mike Amesbury MP, 55.
“The charge follows an alleged assault in Frodsham, Cheshire, on Saturday, 26 October 2024.
“The Crown Prosecution Service reminds all concerned that criminal proceedings against the defendant are active and that he has the right to a fair trial.”
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In a statement, Mr Amesbury said: “I have today been summonsed to court to face a charge of common assault following an incident in Frodsham last month, which was deeply regrettable.
“I am continuing to cooperate with police and given this is an ongoing case I cannot comment further.”
Labour suspended Mr Amesbury from the party so he is now an independent MP for Runcorn and Helsby.
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