People are being warned to stay away from cliffs in west Dorset as the Jurassic Coast continues to crumble.

Winter weather has made cliffs along the coast unstable and it is warned that further rockfalls can happen at any time.

The latest cliff fall occurred to the east of Charmouth on Monday.

The Lyme Regis Coastguard Rescue Team was called to reports of a large cliff fall just before noon.

By the time the team arrived a section of the cliff had already fallen, with other areas of the cliff reportedly continuing to crumble and fall.

The team placed warning signs in the vicinity and advised members of the public who were in the immediate area.

A coastguard spokesman warned members of the public not to climb the cliffs or walk too close to them.

They said: “The recent cold snap followed by the milder weather and the rain, significantly increases the risk of cliff falls and landslides. These collapses will happen without warning, so please be vigilant and stay safe.”

The fall happened just a week after a previous landslip on West Bay’s East Beach. A spokesman for Bridport Fire Station, whose crews were called to the scene, described the rock fall as ‘significant’.

Dorset Council said at the time that this was just a minor fall and not from the full height of the cliff, but rangers still carried out an inspection to make sure the site was safe and to put signs in place.

In December there was a significant landslip at Hive Beach, Burton Bradstock - the third major cliff fall event on that stretch of coast since the summer.

Fresh warnings have been issued to people to avoid walking both on the edge of the cliffs and at the base.

Sam Scriven, head of heritage and conservation at the Jurassic Coast Trust, said: “Rough winter weather and storms can make the cliffs less stable.

"We urge anyone heading down to the beach to heed any warning signs and stay away from the cliff base and any fresh cliff falls.”

A spokesman for Dorset Council said: “Rock falls and landslips are part of the geological nature of the Jurassic Coast. Wave action will slowly break down and move the material along the coast. This will become shingle and sand on our beaches. People should not be near the cliff edges or bases and should not climb the rock fall, which is still unstable.”