A Sidmouth resident photographed a plume of red dust rising above Jacob’s Ladder as part of the cliff collapsed on Thursday, September 24.

There have been reports of two falls within a 30-minute period that afternoon.

Jenny Pleasants was standing on the seafront when the cloud of dust caught her eye – and she captured it on camera.

She said: “It was approximately 2.35pm or 2.40pm.

“I was out for a dog walk as it was such a beautiful afternoon.

“I walked up to Jacob’s Ladder straight after but didn’t see any other fall.”

Cliff falls are common in Sidmouth, but the latest ones have mainly been at the other end of the seafront, near Pennington Point.

A spokesman for East Devon District Council said: “Rockfalls and landslides are unpredictable events, occurring without warning, and can cause serious injury or death.

“Warning signs can be found in areas managed by us. The absence of a sign does not indicate there is no risk and you should always take care around the cliffs of East Devon as all are made of soft rock and pose a cliff fall danger.”