A landslip has caused substantial damage to a security gate in Weymouth.

Large boulders have tumbled down a cliff near to Newton’s Cove, causing the gate to be ripped from the ground, leaving it no longer functional and at an angle.

A Weymouth resident who often swims down Newton’s Cove said: “The electric gate is nearly always locked and now someone could just walk right through it.”

The gate is at the entrance to the former Bincleaves Technology Park, previously the base of defence research company QinetiQ.


There are plans to try and redevelop the site with a multi-million pound waterfront scheme.

A large amount of landslides have been reported along the Dorset coast recently including one on Portland.

Alastair Sharman-Courtney was out for his usual run along the South West Coast Path on Sunday, February 25, when he noticed that a large section of the cliff had fallen away.

He explained that part of the coast path near to Mutton Cove on the west side of the island had been 'eaten into' by the landslip.

Another landslide was also reported at Bowleaze Cove last month and local resident Linda Stevenson was out walking her daughter’s two dogs when she noticed it.

Linda said: “It’s what we expect every year when we have this rain – it’s been like that for years.

"I felt I needed to warn people. Due to the landslip the mud at the bottom of the cliff can be quite sticky and dangerous.”

More recently however, a landslide at Lulworth Cove caused a recently refurbished flight of steps to the eastern side of Lulworth Cove to collapse, meaning that the eastern side of Lulworth beach now has no official route of access.

According to the Lulworth Rangers, sodden clay has now covered and damaged the newly built steps and taken away the original stone steps from above.

Repair work must now be carried out to the steps.

Following a spate of heavy downpours, further along in West Dorset at Charmouth beach, landslips were reportedly occurring daily.

Ali Ferris, Earth Marine and Environment Manager at Charmouth Heritage Coast Centre said: “We have had some awful weather, and it comes down every day. After all the excessive rain that we have had recently, it’s coming down quite a lot at the moment.