Curse of the disappearing clifftop: Bungalows left teetering after 20ft of land was lost in a month

But after a landslip of terrifying proportions, their position has changed from a blessing to a curse.

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The houses of Knipe Point on the 'disappearing clifftop'

Up to 20ft of land has vanished in the last month, with 6ft apparently disappearing in a single night.

The result is that bungalows have been left teetering on the brink of a cliff, if not slightly over it. Owners were forced to evacuate after their back gardens and sections of patio disappeared.

Today, demolition experts will begin knocking down two condemned family homes on the North Yorkshire coast before they are claimed by the forces of nature.

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Three further properties overlooking Cayton Bay, near Scarborough, are in the immediate danger zone... and more could go if the mysterious landslip continues to gobble up the cliff.

The owners do not know if insurance companies will pay out to cover the cost as the circumstances are so unusual. While the National Trust, which owns the surrounding land, said water had caused the damage, the problem is said to be unconnected to the more common problem of coastal erosion.

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Now you see it: But soon you won't if there are any more landslips

Kevin and Mary Lloyd, who have owned their detached house for 17 years, were told to remove their possessions only hours after Mr Lloyd had returned from hospital where he had a hip replaced. Near neighbours Moya Green, 72, and her husband John, 73, bought their home 28 years ago.

"It's extremely worrying," said Mrs Green. "The wood below used to be dry with a little stream and suddenly it has become a lake."

The National Trust's property manager Bob Dicker said: "The landslip is caused by water for the most part. What we don't know is where the water is coming from."

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