A LARGE part of a cliff – including a section of the Cleveland Way walk – has collapsed into the sea, following a “substantial” landslide.

The collapsed section of coastline, near the former lighthouse, Whitby High Light, was reported by walkers on the Cleveland Way to staff at the RNLI station in Whitby just after 2pm today (Wednesday, October 1).

The cliff-fall has taken out a part of the Cleveland Way walk and people are being urged to stay away from the area. Although emergency crews can not yet give an estimate of the size of the cliff-fall, Humberside Coastguard said it was a “significant” fall.

A spokesman said: “It’s right along the Cleveland Way path itself. We believe it might have happened overnight. People have been observed trying to clamber their way round it. The area has been taped off now it’s been reported and tomorrow morning proper signage and fencing will be erected around it.

“It’s cordoned off, we can’t do any more than that, but it’s a busy stretch with walkers, so we need the public to take heed of what’s happened.

“It’s quite a significant cliff-fall.”

He said nobody is believed to have been injured in the landslide, which is on a section of coast between Saltwick Bay and Whitby Abbey.

Humberside coastguard alerted police and the local authority.

A second, much smaller landslide has also taken place further up the coast.

It is believed after it was reported to the council, investigators came across a second, much smaller landslide, which did not affect the path, and believed the damage had been over-exaggerated until they walked a further 60 to 70 metres and found a large chunk of the cliff and path completely missing.

It is believed part of a farm track may also have collapsed away.