House left teetering on edge of 400ft drop after landslide destroys 185m-year-old cliff

A house is precariously perched on the edge of a 400ft drop after a massive cliff fall along the - a strip of land over 185 million years old.

The thatched cottage, located in Sidmouth, , is now a mere 40ft away from the unstable cliffs' edge.

This follows last weekend's collapse of a significant portion of the cliff at Jacob's Ladder Beach between Sidmouth and Ladram Bay.

The incident saw tonnes of debris crashing down, leading the local authority to close the popular South West coastal path for safety reasons.

The cliff collapse also triggered a smaller rockfall directly beneath the thatched property, bringing it dangerously

Drone footage captured the scale of the landslip on the , highlighting the risk to homeowners and beachgoers.

East Devon District Council issued a warning on social media, reminding visitors to maintain a safe distance from the cliffs along the East Devon coastline.

The council explained that cliff falls are a due to the soft rock forming the cliffs, which is susceptible to rock falls and landslides at any time.

Coastal scientist Vicky Walkley had previously warned following a similar collapse at the same location last year that predicting cliff falls is "very difficult", with factors such as heavy rainfall and warm sunshine potentially contributing to them.

Sidmouth has once again been the scene of a dramatic cliff collapse, with August 2022 witnessing the earth crack and crumble after a spell of hot weather.

In a separate incident dating back to March 2020, the Sidmouth cliffs , causing an avalanche of rocks and sand dangerously close to beachgoers.

The East Devon District Council has issued a stark warning to visitors, urging them to "stay well clear" of the precarious cliffs, while the Coastguard recommends keeping a distance equal to the height of the cliff from its base when on the beach.