A café has been left just inches from the edge of a steep slope after severe weather took its toll on East Beach.

Calls have been made for people to take care by the incline’s edge as the situation continues to be monitored by the parish council – which owns and lease the plinth on which the café stands.

Powerful south westerly winds over the past few weeks have seen The Soft Rock Café, situated on East Beach in Charmouth, threatened by coastal erosion after heavy rain altered the river’s course by 125 metres.

Several tonnes of sand, stone and gravel have been displaced, leaving a new ‘cliff’ up to two metres high in places.

The erosion could potentially undermine the café at the foot of Evans cliff, said Charmouth Parish councillor Paul Oatway.

The area is used by many walkers and fossil hunters and there are concerns that the edge of the sand cliff formed in front of the café is unstable and subject to further erosion.

Café owner Steve Postles said the café remains open but labelled the situation as desperate.

He said: “I’m hoping the parish council can do something this week.

“The river has taken away half the beach, and if there is no beach then it is going to affect tourism.

“And if we have more heavy rain it could do far more damage.

“We’re still open at the moment but we are in a desperate situation and this needs to be acted on immediately.”

Cllr Paul Oatway, who is also vice chairman of the foreshore committee, said discussions are underway with the Environment Agency and Natural England looking at measures to alleviate the situation.

He said: “We have proposals and are seeking their advice and permission.

“But there are also other issues to consider such as biodiversity, fishery, environmental impacts and damage to fossils.

“We recommend that people try to avoid the edge of the new river channel.

“The beach at Charmouth is a wonderful place to walk, but do check tide times before setting off along the beach as now that much of East Beach has been eroded, an incoming tide may possibly cut you off.”

Parish councillor Ian Simpson said the café is now so close to the edge ‘it’s actually dangerous’.

He urged people to stay away from the steep incline because ‘the more people climb near the edge, the closer it will get to collapsing’.

He added: “People wouldn’t climb up unstable cliffs and the situation is the same here - the incline is unstable so please be careful.”