Cornwall Council has temporarily closed the Sand Rails Path in Bude until further notice.

They have cited coastal erosion for the closure of the path, saying that the loss of some of the cobblestones on the historic path has been lost and thus pose a tripping hazard.

As a result. the pathway will remain closed until further notice as although repairs are planned, no timescale has been announced for when this will take place.

Announcing the closure of the path to residents, a spokesperson for Bude-Stratton Town Council said: "Cornwall Council has had to temporarily close Sand Rails Path as it has been damaged by coastal erosion. As a result, some of those cobblestones have been lost and pose a tripping hazard. So, to keep everyone safe, the path had to be closed immediately.

"Cornwall Council will reopen the path once the repairs have been made. Unfortunately, we don't have an exact timeline just yet, but we'll keep you posted as soon as we know more.

"In the meantime, Cornwall Council are investigating how they can improve alternative access whilst the closure is in place."

In a briefing note sent to local politicians, Cornwall Council said of the closure: "This feature has experienced erosion over time from coastal processes, which has been

exacerbated as a result of recent storms. This has caused scouring of the walkway resulting in the loss of the cobblestones which is deemed to be causing a trip hazard.

"Additionally, and potentially of greater risk, the wave action has begun to damage the embankment wall, and some of the stone masonry has become loose, falling away from

the face of the embankment onto the sand tramway, which could lead to a breach of the wall.

"For the past 18 months, Cornwall Council has been investigating a long-term sustainable solution which structurally robust, but also retains and recognises the importance of the

heritage feature. This has involved consultation with various stakeholders as it is important that the agreed final design takes into account all aspects. In lieu of an approved design solution, and in light of the recent deterioration to the asset, Cornwall Council has taken the decision to close the sand tramway to public access for health and safety reasons."