The Telegraph

Family has barbecue on edge of unstable 'Broadchurch' cliff

The Telegraph logo The Telegraph 21.06.2023 20:54:27 Telegraph reporters
Family barbecue on West Bay cliffs - BNPS

This is the shocking moment a family has a barbecue on the edge of the unstable "Broadchurch" cliffs despite major recent rockfalls.

A middle-aged man, in a dark top and shorts, was pictured bending down to turn sausages on a disposable barbecue a few feet from a 150ft drop.

A woman and a teenage boy stood next to him on the 185 million-year-old sandstone cliffs in West Bay, Dorset.

A section of the Jurassic Coast clifftop has slumped about 4ft from a previous movement, meaning it could turn into a rockfall at any point.

The aerial pictures were taken by drone photographer Darryl Gill, who described the scene as "madness".

He said: "They must have been holidaymakers and they had one of those disposable barbecues.

"You could see it smoking and the man cooking sausages.

"I could not believe it. It is madness.

"I just don't think people understand that it could drop at any moment, and you would stand no chance.

"I would say they should put up more safety signs but people just seem to ignore them anyway."

West Bay is the real-life setting for the hit ITV crime drama Broadchurch starring David Tennant and Olivia Colman.

Hundreds of tonnes of rock suddenly fell onto the beach there on May 21.

It prompted a huge emergency response amid unfounded fears that members of the public might have been injured.

Dozens of beachgoers had been under the cliffs not long before the rubble came down. It was put down to heavy rainfall a few days before.

In 2012 tourist Charlotte Blackman, 22, was crushed to death by a huge landslip as she walked under the cliffs further along the World Heritage Site at Burton Bradstock.

Visitors are warned to stay away from the base of the West Bay cliffs, and to keep their dogs on leads near the cliff top.

A Dorset Council spokesman said: "The Jurassic Coast looks the way it does because of erosion, meaning it is always on the move.

"It is a wonderful place to visit, but it's important to use common sense and caution. Stay away from the edge and base of cliffs and always pay attention to warning signs and safety messages."

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mercredi 21 juin 2023 23:54:27 Categories: The Telegraph

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