A MAIN road in Shaldon is closed while essential work is carried out to stabilise cliffs.

Marine Parade will be shut to all traffic for up to eight weeks while the work is underway on the cliff beside the road.

It will be closed to motorists, pedestrians and cyclists throughout the work to ‘keep the public and workforce safe’, said Devon County Council.

While diversions are in place for vehicles, there is no suitable alternative route for pedestrians.

So a free shuttle bus is being run to help people travel between The Ness Car Park and The Strand during the closure.

It will run every 20 minutes, seven days a week, from 9am to 11pm. These arrangements will be kept under review.

The shuttle bus will be fully accessible, with space for wheelchairs and pushchairs.

A spokesman for Devon County Council which is carrying out the work, said: ‘Local events will still take place during the work. Before each event, checks will be carried out to see whether the road can be temporarily reopened safely.’

The road closure comes after specialist contractors were brought in by Teignbridge Council to tackle overgrown rocks and vegetation at the Ness.

Work started earlier this month on the northern side of the headland.

For safety reasons, the beach and foreshore east of the steps below the Ness House Hotel remain closed due to the risk of rock falls and landslips.

The footpath around the Ness Headland through the woodland, including access to the former viewpoint, also remains closed.

And the South West Coast Path diversion around the Ness remains in place.

The work is taking place following a dramatic cliff in April which sent tonnes of debris crashing into the sea.

The 280 million year old soft sandstone rocks are prone to erosion and rock falls.