Dog's 'sixth sense saved' friends from landslide

Two friends who were a few feet away from a landslide say their pet dog's "sixth sense" saved their lives. Amy Jones and Matt Smith were sitting on a bench above Great Western Beach in Newquay, Cornwall, when their collie "sensed" danger and ran off, with the friends following.



Seconds later about 100 tonnes of debris fell from the cliff on to the access road. No-one was injured, but the area has been sealed off and there is no access to the beach. Ms Jones said: "She [Hazel the dog] was sniffing around the ground and then suddenly bolted off.



"Next there was a sound from the railings and they were wobbling, and then the ground collapsed and we ran and called the police." Mr Smith added: "If it wasn't for her we would have been left leaning against the railings. She definitely knew something was happening."



A Cornwall Council engineer said more than 100 tonnes of material had collapsed, probably as a result of the cold and wet weather. The engineer said it would be a significant time before the road would reopen.