Overview
- The rockfall struck East Beach at West Bay around 4 p.m. on December 31, sending a dust cloud across the shoreline.
- Dorset Council says the beach remains open but partially obstructed, while the cliff-top path above the fall is shut.
- Coastguards and emergency teams attended the scene and reported no injuries after checks.
- Witnesses described loud cracking and rumbling before the cliff gave way, and media reports cite a 30ft pile with one estimate of about 500 tonnes of fallen rock.
- Officials reiterated that rockfalls are a natural feature of the Jurassic Coast and urged people to heed warning signs and keep clear of cliff edges and bases.