A landslip has led to the closure of a footbridge on the Raad ny Foillan coastal footpath in Port Erin.

Its closure means that stretch of the path at Spaldrick is off limits to walkers.

A sign at the bridge reads: ’Danger Keep Out’.

Commissioners’ clerk Jason Roberts explained that excess rainfall in recent months has led to slippage and there is a ’chunk’ of material which has fallen and is by the bridge.

A structural engineer surveyed the site last week and Mr Roberts said he will ’hopefully’ be able to update the authority at their meeting tonight (Tuesday).

’We want to make sure it’s safe,’ he said. ’We may need to do remedial work.’

He does not know when it will reopen.

The footbridge was closed in 2005 when a burst water main destabilised the bank.

The authority explored several options for its potentially very expensive repair and - as it is on a public footpath on private land - encountered several hurdles, meaning it took 10 years to reopen.

The footbridge reopened in April 2015 and was named after Tony Wright, a teacher, commissioner and popular member of the community who died two years before.

His focus was in helping children, particularly those who had lost their way, meaning the bridge also has symbolic significance.