Crack appears near railway line in Folkestone

A huge crack has appeared in a road next to the railway line at the Folkestone Warren.

The whole width of the road, which is next to the railway line to Dover, appears to have split.

One driver said she had a scare when her car "bounced down" over the steep drop.

Network Rail had already implemented a 20mph (32kmh) speed limit in the area after an earlier movement of the promenade.

A spokesman for Network Rail said it was "aware of uneven surfaces" at the Folkestone Warren promenade and it had sensors installed to monitor the situation.

The spokesman said: “Following the recent heavy rainfall, our monitors detected further movement and our geotechnical experts are currently investigating how best to tackle this issue to prevent further movement.

“The safety of our passengers, colleagues and the public is always our number one priority and as a result we’ve implemented a 20mph speed restriction on both lines between Abbotscliffe and Martello Tunnels.”

The speed restriction is in place for around a mile and is "only temporary" while investigations continue.

Khloe West, who lives in Folkestone, said she managed to drive over the crack on Tuesday "with great difficulty".

She said: "The car went onto three wheels and we burnt the tyres out a bit.

"It definitely isn’t easy getting back up - the worst thing was we didn’t even notice it in the road as we drove down as it’s that steep of a drop.

"As we drove over it the car just sort of fell and bounced down onto the next part of the road, it was quite scary.”

It is the latest in a series of landslips around the town, including some that closed the Road of Remembrance.

The road was first blocked by fallen trees after a landslip on 27 January and remains closed.

A Kent County Council spokesperson said "further landslips have taken place since then", which had slowed the progress of clearing the site.

They warned future landslips were "likely".

The council said the road could be closed for up to three months and may not reopen until June.

The spokesperson added: "We know this will be difficult news for local people, but safety is a top priority and we must ensure risk of further landslips is reduced before the road is cleared of debris and reopened to the public."

Follow BBC Kent on Facebook, external, on X, external, and on Instagram, external. Send your story ideas to [email protected], external or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250.