内容摘要：Mr Carter said two landslides caused the problem, adding: "A couple of residents heard a loud bang.

Mr Carter said two landslides caused the problem, adding: "A couple of residents heard a loud bang.

In other instances, the limestone sits below another layer of rock, which means that as it gets dissolved there are no immediate signs at the surface.The overlying rock, sometimes clay or sandstone, will then suddenly collapse into the depression beneath - called a 'collapse sinkhole'.

These are most common in South Wales where sandstone rocks lie above caves in the limestone.But human activities can also accelerate the formation of sinkholes or cause the ground to collapse in a similar way.Dr Andrew Farrant, British Geological Survey regional geologist for south-east England, suspects that is what has happened in Godstone and it is not a true sinkhole.

He said that one theory is that a burst water main has caused a sudden influx of water into the sandstone bed and has "flushed" weak sand out the way.Pete Burgess, of the Wealden Cave and Mines Society, said a quarry marked "sand pit" can be seen on 19th century maps of land directly under the sinkhole.

He added that sand from the pit was dug out and used for building and gardening purposes.

Dr Farrant said that sand pit had been filled in but he added unrecorded underground sand mines may be present in the area, and it is possible that a leaking pipe may have triggered the collapse of these underground mines and allowed sediment to be flushed out from beneath the road.Although designed mainly for bikes, pump tracks are versatile and accessible to skateboards, scooters and wheelchairs.

The track officially opened on Monday, despite being in use since December.Amelie placed ninth in the 2024 UCI BMX racing world championships in South Carolina, USA, earlier this month.

Big jumps are her favourite part of the sport, alongside the camaraderie, she said.After cutting the ribbon to open the track, Amelie rode a couple of circuits and added: "They've made a really good job getting this into good shape for people to ride."