BELGRAVE Road residents fear the road will never be reopened as it stands on the brink of collapse.

Road closures have been put in place after the wall running alongside the road partially collapsed on Thursday, causing the carriageway to crack and earth to spill out from behind the wall.

The Isle of Wight Council and Island Roads said it would remain closed for the foreseeable future, and no action would be taken to carry out repairs until ground movement had stabilised.

Speaking to the County Press at the scene yesterday, Morris Fletcher, whose home backs onto Alma Road, just south of the affected area, said: "I expect this to be another Undercliff Drive.

"If they're waiting for cliff movement to finish, they'll be waiting forever.

"Movement's never finished in Ventnor.

"But there's no real point in worrying as there's nothing you can do."

Pointing to the buildings lining Belgrave Road, he said: "They're worthless now ­— those houses."

One passerby said the road had been in a poor condition for some time, and believed the wall had collapsed following heavy rain.

The crack in the road has widened considerably since Thursday.

A builder working on a house in the road said: "I can't believe how much it's changed, we've watched it sink daily."

One Island Roads staff member told the County Press: "At the minute, it's a monitoring situation. We're monitoring the road around the clock."

Tony Minx, who lives off Esplanade Road, said the council and Island Roads had kept residents informed over the last week.

He said: "Communication has been very good. The workers have been very helpful, I can't fault them.

"The flats below have been advised to evacuate, and we're regularly being kept up-to-date — a guy from the council visited in the evening to check on us, and we bring the chap who keeps watch from six till midnight a cup of tea.

"We're not worried. Everyone's really pulled together. There is a real community spirit."

"We have to walk a long way to reach the shops, but it's doing us some good," said Tony's wife, Jeane.

"It's certainly keeping me fit and healthy."