It all depends on what people are doing and where. Our policy, and that of Natural England is ‘responsible collecting’ - that means only collecting loose fossils from the beaches. We only advise people to collect around Charmouth and Lyme Regis as this is the best place due to the high erosion rates. Indeed, if the fossils were not collected, they would be destroyed by the sea! People should be aware that the cliffs are potentially dangerous due to rock falls and mudflows. The beach is the best and safest place to search for fossils, when the tide is going out.