Latest news with #Isle of Wight
Daily Mail
6 hours ago
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Fears one of Britain's most scenic roads just four metres from a cliff edge could crumble into the sea as drivers call it 'an accident waiting to happen'
raw vid 3476563 Drivers on the Isle of Wight today told of their fears over one of Britain's most picturesque roads, which is plagued by erosion, branding it an 'accident waiting to happen'. Locals said the 'beautiful' road that runs on the south side of their island said something 'tragic' is bound to happen, as some parts are less than four metres from a cliff edge. They said it is 'precarious' to drive on Military Road and called on authorities to save it because it is 'the most scenic road in the country'. The road - which locals say makes the Isle of Wight 'look like a Mediterranean island' - offers spectacular sea views and of Freshwater Bay and the Needles. The drive, which was nominated in 2022 as one of the most scenic in the country by Visit England for its 'sweeping ocean views', has suffered a series of major landslides in recent years. Parts of the 11-mile 60mph road are just four metres from the edge of a 200ft cliff. Today, locals in the nearby coastal village of Freshwater shared their concerns about the risk of further erosion. This comes after Island Councillor Becca Cameron raised concerns about a 'serious risk to life'. Last year, the director of community services at Isle of Wight Council said the thoroughfare could be 'washed away by the sea' in two to 10 years time. Vintage clothing shop owner Lindsay Jobling, 48, said: 'I just worry for all the businesses on this side of the island as it will stop so many people coming down here. 'It's one of the main roads to this part of the island, and if it is closed for a while, then it will have a massive effect. 'Whatever happens, it is not going to be a quick process. Everything around here always takes a long time. 'It is a beautiful road and people love driving down there and taking photos, especially on a sunny, summer day. 'When you're driving along there, it can be quite difficult to see the edge, so some people might not notice it, but it really is a problem. Claire Johnson, 61, a local charity shop manager, said: 'Whenever people want to advertise the island, it is always the one they use for photos, and you can see why. 'I used to drive along there regularly, and you do sometimes notice how precarious the edge is but it is hidden in some places. 'It would be extremely isolating to Freshwater and this part of the island if it were to be closed. 'It is National Trust land, which can be difficult to work with as they can sometimes let nature take its course but we need to keep it for the sake of the island. 'I think it would be a bit selfish for the National Trust to just let it erode away to protect their land.' Christine Pesterfield, 53, who works on the island as a carer, said: 'It is the natural flow of things and so it is difficult to come up with a real solution. 'If the council knew that it could be a problem then they should have had a plan in place years ago. 'There have been plenty of landslips in other parts of the island over the years. It is happening all over the country. 'It all depends on what the weather is doing and can be so unpredictable. 'I don't think it is all the buses and lorries that go along there. It's just nature.' Shop assistant, Helen Gibbs, 57, added: 'It would be a huge loss to the Isle of Wight. 'They have had some sensors in the cliff but I don't think they work. 'I understand that it is a difficult problem, but that road can look like a Mediterranean island at times of the year and we can't lose it. 'They have spent some money and I know that more will be needed, but it'll be worth it in the end.' Café manager Cath Desant, 56, said: 'I think one of the car parks along the road is about a third of the size that it used to be. 'If they closed the Military Road, it would ruin the footfall of people on both ends of the road, 'I think if they asked big businesses to contribute to protecting their road, then they would help as it contributes so much the island's economy. 'It is the most scenic road in the country in my opinion. 'Another bad winter and it will just get that little bit closer to the edge. 'The problem is if they move it back from the edge then in 40 or so years then they will have to do it again. 'Sadly it could go with no prior warning and then and something tragic could happen.' Retired mechanic Martin Pocock has lived on the island his entire life. The 78-year-old said: 'It is part of the attraction and the history of the Isle of Wight. 'It is going to go at some point but what have the council done so far? The sensors don't work and the signs are a joke. 'The whole of Great Britain is eroding and this area is no different. 'Sadly it is not impossible that it could go when someone is driving along it and there could be tragic consequences. 'It could just be an accident waiting to happen but who knows when and where it will happen?
BBC News
3 days ago
- BBC News
Two teenagers killed in crash with tree near Corhampton
Two boys, aged 16 and 17, have died after a car hit a and Isle of Wight Constabulary said officers were called to reports of a crash involving a grey Hyundai I20 close to the villages of Corhampton and Meonstoke at 02:47 teenagers were pronounced dead at the scene on Corhampton Lane and their families have been informed, said appealed for witnesses or anyone with relevant dashcam footage to contact the force. You can follow BBC Hampshire & Isle of Wight on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
The Sun
6 days ago
- The Sun
Shocking moment woman screams at neighbour before torching Land Rover because she thought his badgers killed local cat
THIS is the dramatic moment a woman screams at her neighbour and torches his Land Rover over a bitter badger row. Graham Lee, 56, saw his Freelander engulfed in flames after his neighbour tried to murder badgers living on his driveway. 9 9 9 Susan Lupton, 63, dubbed her neighbour the "evil badger man" and believed the animals - which he fed - were responsible for killing a local cat. In creepy CCTV footage before the inferno, sparked in the coastal village of Freshwater Bay on the Isle of Wight, Lupton can be seen spying on Mr Lee's property. She walks down stairs outside her house, wearing an apron and smoking a cigarette. With her phone in hand, Lupton appears to film Mr Lees' house. After pacing back and forth, she stands eerily still and stares at the home with a look of fury. More videos taken at the scene of the blaze, on June 20 last year, show Lupton scream" your badgers kill cats" and her neighbour. The arson caused £18,500 worth of damages, with Lee's Freelander left as a burnt out shell. Another property was also damaged as the fire spread to a neighbouring house. When police questioned Lupton, who has bipolar disorder, having a manic episode, she confessed: "I did it, I'm responsible". She said she'd started the fire to get rid of the she thought they'd killed her neighbour's cat. Isle of Wight Court heard Lupton had ignited a plastic container filled with white spirit before sliding it under the car. Lupton, who moved to the UK from South Africa in 1980, claimed she had learnt how to start the fire from a firefighter friend. Prosecuting, Joanna Staples, told how the vehicle was completely gutted and a window, guttering, cooker extractor and a tree were all damaged beyond repair on a neighbouring property. Lee, a wildlife volunteer, would leave food out for the badgers on his driveway. 9 9 9 But the animals haven't returned to the property since the fire, he said. In a victim impact statement, Lee said that Lupton was "sick, twisted and a manipulative individual". He added how she had left him constantly checking his security cameras out of fear she may appear on his driveway with some matches. Lee went on to add that his Land Rover was his "pride and joy" and said Lupton's actions had ruined his life. He told the court Lupton posted videos online of her throwing bricks at badgers and lacing bowls of food with glass. Neighbour Kavita Hayton, whose home was damaged by the incident, said the attack had left her "genuinely frightened" and in "a state of fear for many months". Defending, Jonathan Underhill, told the court his client had a single conviction for criminal damage on her record and that she had bipolar disorder. He asked the judge to give Lupton a suspended sentence to help with her rehabilitation. Judge James Newton-Price said the victims had suffered a "terrifying experience" and Lupton had developed a "fixation" and had become "irrationally obsessed". The judge added during sentencing: "You say you are horrified for what you've done. "I believe you have a realistic prospect of rehabilitation, and that imprisonment would reverse your progress." Lupton was ordered to pay costs of £1,000 and compensation of £7,835. She was handed two years' imprisonment, suspended for two years and was given a restraining order to stay away from Lee. In addition, Lupton has been banned from the village of Freshwater indefinitely. 9 9 9
BBC News
6 days ago
- Politics
- BBC News
Two Hampshire council leaders say current devolution plan will fail
Two Hampshire council leaders have warned that proposals to create five new unitary authorities across the county would fail from the council leader Nick Adams-King said the plans - currently under consultation by 12 of the county's 15 district councils - would leave the new authorities bankrupt on day one. The consultation outlines three options, all involving the creation of five councils across Hampshire and the Isle of and East Hampshire District Council leader Richard Millard have proposed an alternative four-way split: north, south, east and west. "We've looked carefully at all the options. Some would save more money on paper, but they come with bigger risks – like breaking up services, creating confusion, or putting too much pressure on councils already facing financial challenges," Adams-King said."Others would cost significantly more and take longer to deliver any benefit."We will be carefully considering this four-council model which aims to strike the right balance."In a joint statement, the 12 district councils said: "A single, county-wide approach can't reflect the needs of such a diverse area. Our proposed model allows services to be designed and delivered around real communities, not a one-size-fits-all system." They warned the alternative plan "risks creating powerless talking shops".A key point of contention is the future of the New Forest, which is treated differently in each proposal. One New Forest councillor, Jack Davies, likened the options to "being asked if you want to be hanged, or shot, or blown up with a bazooka".The changes form part of government devolution plans due by 2028. You can follow BBC Hampshire & Isle of Wight on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
