Politics

Homeowner fears £450,000 property is now worthless after huge cliff collapse in Wales

A HOMEOWNER has told how he fears his £450,000 home is now worthless after a huge landslide saw part of a neighbour’s garden disappear.

Melvin Jones, 63, told how he was left frightened after several tonnes of earth slide down onto a beach at Nefyn, Wales, Monday around 11am.

Melvin Jones, pictured with wife Paula and son Harri, fears his home is worthless after a cliff collapse[/caption]

The landslide – which he says happened because the council failed to fully shore up the cliff face – has left a row of five detached homes perilously close to the edge.

Hotel owner Melvin, who lives in his four bedroom dorma home with wife Paula, 53, stepson Jamie, 19, and seven-year-old son Harri, said: “It’s frightening.

“My brother in law was working on our house when it happened and he said he just heard a rumble and the next thing the cliff was down on the beach.”

Mr Jones said a previous landslide around 20 years ago killed a woman walking on the beach.

He said when he bought his home seven years ago he thought the property was safe as the council had shored it up the cliff with huge rocks.

NARROW ESCAPE

But he said they hadn’t finished the job properly, and the landslide had occurred in a gap where there were no rocks.

Mr Jones and his neighbour are now waiting for a rock engineer to advise whether their homes are safe.

Walkers on the beach also told how they had a narrow escape when the landslide occurred.

Hairdresser Christian Pilling said: “We’d just gone down for a walk and turned round and had the shock of our lives.

“I don’t think anyone was on the beach. We’d gone down there about half an hour after it happened. It’s a good 40 metres wide but hard to tell – it is so big.”

Pal Elise Leyshon said if it had been busy as on Sunday “they would stand no chance”.

Melvin is waiting for an engineer’s report to see whether the home is safe[/caption]

Dwyfor Meirionnydd MP Liz Saville-Roberts wrote on Facebook: “Truly shocking to see the extent of the landslide below Rhodfa’r Môr, Nefyn today.

“I have spoken with the local councillor, Gruffydd Williams, and Cyngor Gwynedd officers to ascertain that a specialist assessment will be made regarding the condition of the cliffs, and to advise nearby residents about how best to remain safe.”

Experts said then that the recent warm days and cold nights had caused cracks that were already there to get bigger, meaning parts of the cliff face fell away.