Plans to move the South West Coast Path away from the crumbling cliffs at Pennington Point are being drawn up.

Town and county councillor Stuart Hughes has called on engineers to come up with contingency measures to reroute the path that is at risk of the town's quickly eroding cliffs.

Cllr Hughes said: "I have spoken to engineers about a contingency plan and am having something put in place.

"With the coastal erosion taking place at the current time, it is not going to be long until the path, that zigzags up the hill, starts to go too.

"It could be next year, the year after, or I hope a few good years."

Cllr Hughes said they needed to look at whether they could link the path up further back.

He added: "The new Alma Bridge will, otherwise, be made redundant and that £1.3million we spent on it will have been a waste."

The engineers are looking to put everything in place, including all the relevant permissions like planning approval, so that if the time ever comes, they will be able to start work quickly.

The news come mere weeks after Nub News ran a story on the Sidmouth Chamber of Commerce president who said the planned beach protections as part the £9million Beach Management Plan would not be 'fit for purpose'.CLICK HERE to read more.