A DOG walker has told of her remarkable close call after a cliff crumbled onto a beach just yards in front of her.

Beth Holmes, 27, was walking her golden retriever Sunny along the picturesque foreshore at Cudmore Grove in East Mersea on Monday morning.

The trek took a dramatic turn when the rugged cliff which runs alongside the water crashed down onto the sand, bringing a tree down with it.

“My dog sprinted over to it as she saw a bit fall down so I guess she assumed there was an animal in the cliff,” said Beth, who lives on Mersea Island.

Gazette: Timber - the cliff collapses and takes a tree with itTimber - the cliff collapses and takes a tree with it (Image: Beth Holmes)

“I then saw a massive bit fall off and I thought to myself ‘I have to run’. I could see lots of other bits were falling off.”

Beth, an artist, said she managed to pull Sunny close and warn another dog walker before it was too late.

Despite admitting the incident was a “close call”, the 27-year-old said it was an amazing spectacle to witness.

She added: “It was bittersweet because it was so cool to see but at the same time it is a bad thing because of all the erosion.

Gazette: Collapsed - the tree now covers the beach in Cudmore GroveCollapsed - the tree now covers the beach in Cudmore Grove (Image: Beth Holmes)

Gazette: Close call - dog walker Beth Holmes said it was an 'awesome' spectacle to watchClose call - dog walker Beth Holmes said it was an 'awesome' spectacle to watch (Image: Newsquest)

“I have mixed feelings but if I had to pick one it would be that it was pretty awesome to watch.

“I spoke to the warden at the park and he said most people don’t ever see the cliff fall down like that.”

The Cudmore Grove country park is a Special Site of Scientific Interest and is rich in historical features, including WWII pillboxes and gun emplacements.

The cliff itself has also produced fascinating 300,000 year old fossils, such as monkey, bear and bison.

Gazette: Good girl - Beth Holmes was walking her golden retriever Sunny at the timeGood girl - Beth Holmes was walking her golden retriever Sunny at the time (Image: Beth Holmes)

An Essex County Council spokesman has urged people to be vigilant when walking along the beach.

He said: "A combination of erosion by the sea and weather has caused part of the edge of the cliffs at the park to fall.

“Essex County Council has installed fencing and signage at the top of the cliffs to inform visitors to stay away from the edge and would encourage people to be vigilant when walking on the foreshore, which is owned by Colchester City Council.”