A teenage boy has been pictured risking his life as he posed for a photograph on the brink of a crumbling 150ft seaside cliff.
The dramatic coastline at West Bay in Dorset, made famous by ITV crime drama Broadchurch, draws thousands of visitors each year but is known to be hazardous, with frequent rockfalls along the unstable cliffs.
So far this year, nine landslips have already been recorded at West Bay. In January, around 500 tonnes of rock — including boulders as large as small cars — crashed down onto the popular beach, throwing a vast cloud of dust into the air.
Yet despite the clear danger, the teenager was seen standing alarmingly close to the cliff edge.
Disturbing images show the boy, who was with a girl, lingering just feet from the 150ft drop to the beach below.
Directly beneath him, a large crack cuts through the 180-million-year-old sandstone cliff, a stark warning that the fragile section could collapse without notice.
Daryl Gill, who was visiting the beach and witnessed the reckless moment, said: ‘They were there for 10 to 15 minutes and also taking photos and selfies.
‘You can see the huge crack so if any section is going to go next it will be that one.
In harrowing pictures, a boy – accompanied by a girl – can be seen uncomfortable close to the 150ft drop at West Bay in Dorset
Beneath the boy’s feet, there is a huge crack in the 180-million-year-old sandstone cliff that suggests it is a matter of time before it gives way
‘It’s quite worrying that people don’t know the dangers.’
With the persistent hot weather this summer, hundreds of tourists have flocked to coastlines across the south of England to make the most of the heatwaves.
But the increase in visitors has brought with it a concerning rise in the number of day trippers who appear to oblivious the imminent threat to life posed by cliffs.
Last week, tourists at the Seven Sisters chalk cliffs in East Sussex were spotted taking pictures right on the edge of the cliff having jumped over a safety railing to get the perfect selfie.
Some visitors checked their phone next to the precipice, seemingly unaware of the mortal danger they could be in.
Others seem to be peering over the 500ft drop that looks onto a pebble beach.
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Below, beachgoers can also be seen sitting dangerously close to the cliff base.
Elsewhere in East Sussex, alarming scenes showed members of the public and sometimes children posing for pictures at Seaford Head.
Last week, tourists at the Seven Sisters chalk cliffs in East Sussex were spotted taking pictures right on the edge of the cliff having jumped over a safety railing and sat below beachgoers were sitting dangerously close to the cliff base
Seaford Head is riddled with so–called tension cracks – but that didn’t stop more than a dozen visitors ignoring warning signs so they could take photographs
The striking white landmark is riddled with tension cracks – but that didn’t stop more than a dozen visitors ignoring warning signs so they could take photographs.
Seaford Head attracts thousands of walkers on the King Charles III England Coast Path each year. Sightseers are urged to keep at least five metres from the edge while admiring the Seven Sisters cliffs between Brighton and Eastbourne.
East Sussex County Council has issued a warning to visitors that the cliffs are extremely unstable.
Tourists have died in the past while posing for pictures on the eroding cliffs.
In 2017, South Korean student Hyewon Kim, 23, plunged 200ft to her death after jumping in the air for a photograph on a crumbling clifftop.
And in 2012 tourist Charlotte Blackman, 22, was crushed to death by a huge landslip as she walked under the cliffs further along the World Heritage Site at Burton Bradstock.
A Dorset Council spokesperson said: ‘The Jurassic Coast looks the way it does because of erosion – meaning it is always on the move.
‘It is a wonderful place to visit, but it’s important to use common sense and caution – stay away from the edge and base of cliffs and always pay attention to warning signs and safety messages.’
In a statement, East Sussex County Council said: ‘Every year, thousands of tons of chalk falls from the cliffs.
‘Despite warning signs, people often stand near the edge. Chalk cliffs are extremely unstable and can fall at any time.
‘People underestimate the risks they are taking.’
