The summer fossil warden will start patrolling the beaches around Charmouth and Lyme Regis this weekend (17 May 2008) to help people discover the amazing story of fossils but also warning them about the dangers of chipping away at the cliffs.

Warden Stuart Godman was due to start patrolling again in July, but the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Team and Dorset County Council's Countryside Service decided to bring the start date forward following the new landslide in Black Ven between Lyme and Charmouth. Stuart will be available most weekends and the half term until June and will be full time for the summer holidays.

As with any rocky coastline there are risks from rock falls and being cut off by the tide - the West Dorset coast also contains mudflows and now debris from the old landfill site presents a new hazard. Since the landslide occurred some collectors have been climbing onto the slip in search of fossils, much to the concern of local authorities and the emergency services.

Stuart will be based at the Charmouth Heritage Coast Centre and although the main focus will be around Charmouth and Lyme Regis, he will also range west along Monmouth Beach and east to Seatown. Although it is impossible to cover all of the beaches all of the time, last year (the first year this post was provided) there was a significant reduction in the number of holes caused by digging in the cliffs.

Stuart said:

"It is essential that people collect fossils responsibly and do not climb where there is an ever present danger of rock falls and mudflows.

"The best and safest place to find fossils is on the beach where the sea has done all the hard work, washing away the soft mud to leave well preserved fossils in the sand and gravel. This will be the case with the new landslip. Rough weather will wash away the fallen rocks to uncover the fossils on the beach. This new landslide will also cut off the beach walk with the incoming tide sooner than people may expect"

The recent dramatic landslide between Lyme Regis and Charmouth is testimony to the very nature of the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site - it is a natural event which plays an integral part in the ever changing and evolving coastal environment.

These events are what make the Dorset and East Devon Coast famous for its geology, fossils and coastal processes. Indeed, these are the key values behind the designation of the coast as a World Heritage Site.