WORK to investigate the stability of cliffs along the promenade at Canford Cliffs will take place next week (MON 19).

Drilling equipment will be used to create three boreholes at the top of the cliffs and three at the bottom. Soil samples up to a depth of 30m will be taken to inform an understanding of the geology of the site.

The results will shape what future work to stabilise the cliffs is required.

The work, which is being carried out by Poole council, will start on Monday, March 19, and last three to four weeks.

It follows concerns over a possible landslide at Canford Cliffs in January. A safety cordon was put up around a block of beach huts in the area after engineers detected some movement in the cliffs above. A short stretch of footpath on Cliff Drive was temporarily closed.

The council has been monitoring the site following a small landslip last winter.

In February 2017, a section of cliff eroded and slipped, coming to rest half way down the cliff face.

Concerns had been raised that this eroded section could continue moving downwards, particularly in the event of heavy rain. Since then the site has been closely monitored.

Work to build new beach huts and seafront infrastructure at the site was also postponed because of the situation.

Over the past 40 years there have been three significant landslips at Canford Cliffs Chine.

The first two happened in the 1970s and one of these left a block of beach huts demolished - a block which was only reinstated in 2014.

The third significant landslide took place in 1993.

Steel targets were installed at regular intervals along and down a 300 metre section of cliff at Canford Cliffs. These targets have been monitored with a laser scanner to accurately measure their positions.

The area where the landslip occurred is part of the Poole Cliffs Site of Nature Conservation Interest, managed by the council.

It provides an ideal habitat for the rare sand lizard and Dartford Warbler, which are both protected species.

Key species are being monitored at the site.