A WEEK after the Watchet to Blue Anchor road at Cleeve Hill was shut amid fears that a landslip could close it for good, the county highways authority revealed that the scare had been a false alarm.

Traffic started moving again on the B3191into Watchet on Saturday after experts discovered that the alert was triggered by a faulty sensor.

The decision to close the road was made after sensors had apparently detected movements in rocks and soil on the 120-foot cliff face.

The solar-powered equipment, involving hazard-warning screens, had been installed after several major landslides in the area triggered fears about the road’s stability.

Andrew Turner, Somerset County Council’s strategic manager for highways, said this week: “The geotechnical challenges affecting the cliff face are complex, requiring a high degree of electronic stability monitoring. Unfortunately, one of the in-situ sensors suffered a failure, triggering the alert.

“The sensor has been replaced and the telemetry reset.”

Mr Turner said he planned to review the department’s communications strategies in case there was a similar alert in future.

John Richards, chairman of Watchet Chamber of Commerce (WACET), said that, while the town’s traders were obviously relieved that the road had re-opened, there were concerns that it had taken so long to pinpoint the fault.