This is the harrowing moment two young women carelessly risk their lives by sitting on the edge of a crumbling 150-foot high cliff only weeks after a major rockfall.
The two unidentified women could be seen arm in arm as they sat uncomfortably close to the perilous cliff edge to watch the sunset.
Unbeknown to them the section of cliff at West Bay they are sitting on is an outcrop that has a huge crack running down the fragile cliff face below.
It comes as 50-foot wide section of the cliff collapsed three weeks ago, sending hundreds of tonnes of rock plummeting to the beach below
The 180 million year old cliffs, which famously starred in the ITV crime drama Broadchurch, have regular rockfalls, with seven recorded this year alone.
The crevice, where the two unaware women sat, suggests it could be the next part of the rock face to come crashing down.
Although there are warning signs dotted around the area urging visitors to stay away from the edge, people continue to run the gauntlet so they can enjoy the views.
A local, who saw the duo on the cliff edge has since slammed the pair, quipping that everyone knows ‘how dangerous and unstable the cliffs can be’.
The two unidentified women could be seen arm in arm as they sat uncomfortably close to the perilous cliff edge at West Bay to watch the sunset (Pictured)
It comes only three weeks after a major rockfall saw a 50-foot wide section of the cliff plummet to the beach below
The resident added: these two young women were sitting on one of the most notable outcrops.
‘It is on a part of the cliff that looks very similar to the bit that broke away last year.
‘There probably needs to be more signs on the cliff to warn people not to risk their lives.’
On October 17, hundreds of tonnes of rock fell onto the beach at West Bay, bringing the greens of Bridport and West Dorset Golf Club treacherously close to the edge.
Coastal erosion and extreme weather events are battering the iconic cliffs, generating unpredictable rockfalls and landslips in sections swamped with sunbathers during summer and walkers all year round.
Thousands of tonnes of cliff could suddenly collapse at any moment, experts warn, burying anything in its path.
Sam Scriven, head of heritage and conservation at the Jurassic Coast Trust (JCT), which looks after the UNESCO World Heritage Site, told MailOnline: ‘I have never known there to be more rockfalls and events than this last winter.
‘It really took me by surprise as almost every area has seen some sort of incident.’
He added: ‘It gives you pause a little bit to think what is coming down the road this winter or the winter after that.’
The crevice, where the two unaware women sat, suggests it could be the next part of the rock face to come crashing down
The 180 million year old cliff is prone to rockfalls with hundreds of tonnes of rock fell onto the beach at West Bay
Charlotte Blackman, of Derbyshire, was crushed to death when 400 tonnes of rock suddenly collapsed from a 160ft cliff near Burton Bradstock, two miles east of West Bay beach in 2012. Boyfriend Matthew (left) recalled ‘boulders the size of haystacks’ which crushed Charlotte. Her body was found nine hours later
Warning signs have been put up at Hive beach, outside Burton Bradstock, to urge people to ‘stay away from the cliffs’
Dozens of landslides and rockfalls have struck the Jurassic Coast since 2012, when the last fatality occurred.
Charlotte Blackman, of Derbyshire, was crushed to death when 400 tonnes of rock suddenly collapsed from a 160ft cliff near Burton Bradstock, two miles east of West Bay beach in 2012.
The 22-year-old was walking along the beach with her family when tragedy struck.
MailOnline analysis shows around 30 per cent of the 137 events, which the JCT states creates ‘the beautiful coastline we see today’, occurred within this same five-mile section.
The British Geological Survey, which records landslides, said that the real number of events that have occurred since 2012 may be higher as it only tracks ones it has been alerted to.
Following the wrath of Storm Kathleen in April, the stretch between West Bay and Burton Bradstock experienced two massive rockfalls.
Thousands of tonnes of rock broke away from the cliff, with aerial photographs showing a 50ft pile of debris laden with boulders the size of double-decker buses.
MailOnline has approached Dorset Council for comment.
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