Sections of a popular coastal walk have been closed off due to safety concerns after huge cracks appeared in the promenade.

The path at Folkestone Warren has been damaged since last month but gaps have grown in severity over the last week.

Crews from Network Rail visited the site on Tuesday to begin shutting off the area, with the movement believed to have been caused by heavy downpours which have saturated the ground below the concrete.

Jayne Sweeney, 44, regularly walks on the Warren and was grateful to see action being taken following the recent damage.

She told KentOnline: “The damage has become a lot more noticeable in the last couple of weeks and there's been more falls of chalk from the cliffs.

“It’s a bit concerning and you do start to think should I come down here and you keep more of an eye on things as you are walking,”

“I am sure the council is doing what they can, if they had an unlimited budget they might be doing more but they seem to be very proactive about the issues,” she said.

Fellow walker Jean Easney, 77, from Dover was worried it could lead to a larger closure at the popular promenade.

She said: “It would be a real shame to see it close, I’d really miss it.

“It’s become more popular over the last 10 years and it really is a marvellous place to come, especially during the summer months.”

Further damage has also been spotted around the area with a huge crack appearing on the road leading to Folkestone Warren last month.

It follows several incidents and landslips in the town including at the Lower Leas Coastal Park and the Road of Remembrance, which remains shut, as a result of weeks of wet weather.

A Folkestone and Hythe District Council spokesperson said: “Network Rail has attended The Warren to investigate the damage and placed fencing and signage in the affected area.

“Their engineers will soon be carrying out inspections to assess the required repairs.”

Speed restrictions had already been put in place on train drivers travelling between Folkestone and Dover after damage first appeared.

The 1.2-mile stretch between Abbotscliffe and Martello Tunnels is still under the 20mph limit while the area is monitored.

Derek Butcher, principal geotechnics engineer for Network Rail said: “We’re aware of the issues with ground movement at Folkestone Warren, which relates to an active landslide, and actively monitoring this location with speed restrictions currently in place.

“Our priority remains to ensure the safe operation of the railways so that passenger trains can continue to run along the route between Folkestone and Dover.”

The authority has confirmed there are no plans to close the line when repairs are carried out.