A LANDSLIP in North Dorset saw tonnes of earth crash onto barriers and close the road, as wind and rain swept across Dorset yesterday.

The C13 through Dinah's Hollow near Melbury Abbas will be closed until Monday after 20-30 tonnes of earth slipped, pushing the concrete barriers out.

Gale force winds and rain lashed the county, causing disruption, with a weather warning issued by the Met Office.

The severe weather saw lorries blown over on the A35 in west Dorset, trees down and flooding in parts of Dorset and the New Forest.

In Burley, a 300-year-old oak tree came down, blocking one entrance to the Burley Manor Hotel, while also bringing down power cables and damaging the roof of the lodge.

A member of staff at the New Forest hotel said the tree came down between 8am and 9am. No-one was hurt and an alternative access was being used until it was removed.

The A35, near Christchurch, was also blocked by a tree, with another down on Wimborne Road East.

Crashes at Holes Bay and Arrowsmith Road caused delays, with another tree blocking Castle Farm Road in Lytchett Matravers.

A power cut in Wimborne and Blandford affected more than 360 properties, SSE said, and there was flooding at Winfrith Newburgh and on the A35 at Bloxworth.

In Poole, the Twin Sails Bridge was raised for boats to be rescued after they came loose from their moorings due to the high winds.

Both Poole lifeboats and Dorset Police's rib was launched to deal with the vessels, towing them back to safety and avoiding, what volunteer coxswain, Jonathan Clark, said could potentially have been "a big incident".

A spokesperson for Dorset County Council said the C13 at Dinah's Hollow would remain closed until Monday.

Motorists are being advised to use the A350 as an alternative route.

Last year, Dorset County Council closed the road at Dinah's Hollow after a number of landslips.

An independent report at the time was ordered into the stability of the steep slopes, and concluded that there was a strong possibility of the slopes collapsing into the road.

The report said the volume of rock and soil that could slip was sufficient enough to engulf a small vehicle.

In January this year, new concrete barriers were installed on the road after planned work was postponed.

North Dorset MP, Simon Hoare tweeted: "Dinah's Hollow closed again by further landslip.

"We now must crack on to deliver a permanent solution. Local residents and firms deserve better."