Manx National Heritage says it is considering the future of a well-known coastal landmark in the south of the island.

The roof of the Chasms shelter has been badly damaged in recent storms, with multiple slates having been lost or dislodged.

Wooden battens have been fixed to the walls of the former café ahead of a mesh net being placed over the roof to prevent the remaining slates from being a safety hazard.

A sign placed on the shelter says the mesh net will remain in place ‘while the future of the shelter is considered’.

MNH’s sign explains that the café first appears on an Ordnance Survey map of 1898 at around the time that the Chasms became a popular tourist attraction for walkers arriving by train in Port Erin and Port St Mary.

‘The challenges of running a café without electricity or water supply, and its remote and exposed location, eventually led to its demise and it was closed by the 1960s,’ it adds.

The area was acquired in 1971 by the Manx Museum and National Trust which transformed the disused building into a walkers’ shelter.

A spokesperson for MNH insisted there are no plans to demolish the structure.

He said: ‘It is very exposed and has suffered from storm damage over the last few years.

‘The plan at present is to contain further damage with the net and return to repair the roof.

‘Long-term some ideas and funding options will be considered to find a way to return it to beneficial use. There are no plans to demolish.’