Families living near crumbling cliffs told to leave homes after huge landslide with fears of ANOTHER collapse in Wales
FAMILIES living on the edge of a crumbling cliff are being told to leave their home after a huge landslide last week.
Police and local councils are warning that there could be another collapse after several tonnes of earth slid down onto a beach at Nefyn, Wales, Monday around 11am.
Residents are now being told to abandon their homes and relocate “until further notice” while emergency teams evaluate the situation.
Following the first landslide earlier this week Gwynedd Council said: “A significant landslide has affected the beach in Nefyn with a large part of the cliff having fallen on the beach earlier today.
“Arrangements have been made for an initial investigation of the cliff to be carried out.”
And cops have urged the public to avoid the area as emergency teams carry out their assessment.
A North Wales Police spokesman said: “We are aware of people gathering to take photographs - the public are advised to avoid the area until further notice.
“The public are advised to avoid the area until further notice, whilst emergency services and utility companies make the area safe.”
Local MP Liz Saville Roberts said: “Truly shocking to see the extent of the landslide below Rhodfa'r Môr, Nefyn.
“I have spoken with the local councillor, Gruffydd Williams, and Cyngor Gwynedd (council) officers to ascertain that a specialist assessment will be made regarding the condition of the cliffs, and to advise nearby residents about how best to remain safe.”
Earlier this week a homeowner told The Sun how he fears his £450,000 home is now worthless after the huge landslide saw part of a neighbour’s garden disappear.
Melvin Jones, 63, says it happened because the council failed to fully shore up the cliff face - and it has left a row of five detached homes perilously close to the edge.
Hotel owner Melvin, who lives in his four bedroom dorma home with wife Paula, 53, stepson Jamie, 19, and seven-year-old son Harri, said: “It’s frightening.
"My brother in law was working on our house when it happened and he said he just heard a rumble and the next thing the cliff was down on the beach.”
Mr Jones said a previous landslide around 20 years ago killed a woman walking on the beach.
He said when he bought his home seven years ago he thought the property was safe as the council had shored it up the cliff with huge rocks.
But he said they hadn’t finished the job properly, and the landslide had occurred in a gap where there were no rocks.
Mr Jones and his neighbour are now waiting for a rock engineer to advise whether their homes are safe.
Walkers on the beach also told how they had a narrow escape when the landslide occurred.
Hairdresser Christian Pilling said: "We'd just gone down for a walk and turned round and had the shock of our lives."I don't think anyone was on the beach. We'd gone down there about half an hour after it happened. It's a good 40 metres wide but hard to tell - it is so big."
Pal Elise Leyshon said if it had been busy as on Sunday "they would stand no chance".
Experts said then that the recent warm days and cold nights had caused cracks that were already there to get bigger, meaning parts of the cliff face fell away.
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