Woman's garden plunges down cliffs

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A woman is considering her next move after part of the garden attached to her new clifftop house plunged 300ft down on to a beach.

The owner bought the six-bedroom detached house in Torquay for £154,500 as it was suffering from structural damage caused by a fault line.

Other houses on the road have been bought for up to £675,000 due to their views of the sea.

But just days after she bought Ridgemont House, part of the garden collapsed as 5,000 tonnes of rock fell on to Oddicombe Beach, narrowly missing beach huts below.

Neighbours reported hearing a rumbling noise as the cliff side gave way on Sunday.

The property now sits 50ft from the edge of the 300ft cliff.

Rachel Gibbs, from estate agents Fox and Sons which handled the auction in Southampton, Hants, said any buyer could apply for planning permission to demolish the house and rebuild it elsewhere, avoiding the fault line.

She added: "It's sat on a geographical fault line where two different types of rock meet under the property.

"A lot of people saw it as an ideal opportunity to create their dream home in a lovely location if they can get planning for it.

"It overlooks Babbacombe Bay from the garden, it's just stunning."

Copyright © Press Association 2010

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