Don’t look down! Heart-in-mouth moment visitor risks his life to look over 150ft cliff at Birling Gap beauty spot in Sussex
- Man peered over the cliff at Birling Gap, near Eastbourne, in East Sussex, today
- He wore a rucksack and his trainers as he peered over the unstable cliff edge
- Scene comes a day after a curious girl was pulled back from the 400ft cliffs
As thousands of Britons flocked to the nation’s parks and beaches today to bask in 79F temperatures, one reveller decided to risk his life by hanging off the edge of an unstable 150ft cliff.
Shocking images captured at the Birling Gap cliffs, near Eastbourne, in East Sussex, today showed the unknown man peering over the cliffs, which stand at 400ft at its highest peak, and putting himself in grave danger.
Despite the imminent danger to his life, the man, who was not wearing a harness of any safety equipment, continued to look over the cliff edge as he clung to a wall.
The heart-pounding scene comes as stark warnings urging people to beware of the perilous cliffs have continued to be ignored by visitors amid the pandemic.
The unknown man stood at the edge of the Birling Gap cliffs, near Eastbourne, in East Sussex, today
A Birling Gap Coastguard spokeswoman said: ‘We really can’t stress enough how important it is to keep back from cliff edges. There is no ”safe” place to be and the cliffs along the UK coastline are continuously eroding.
‘Use the designated paths, take notice of any warning signs, be responsible and don’t take any unnecessary risks.
‘It’s more important than ever to take extra care in these extraordinary times. Coronavirus hasn’t gone away and your choices might put our frontline responders at risk.
‘As always, if you see anyone in trouble, call 999 and ask for the Coastguard.’
The shocking images come just a day after a little girl was pulled back from the edge after she was spotted peering over the cliffs near Eastbourne which form part of Seven Sisters national park near Beachy Head.
The girl – who’s hair was blowing in the strong wind – was just inches away from the sheer drop before she was swiftly pulled back by an adult.
Tourists have faced repeat warnings about the dangers of the East Sussex location, with its crumbling chalk cliffs frequently giving way in bad weather.
While the cliffs stand at 400ft at its highest peak, the man appeared to be stood at 150ft from the cliff edge
Tourists flocked to the beauty spot today as temperatures continued to soar across the UK
Revellers sat on the grass by the edge of the cliffs in Easbourne today to have a picnic
The scenes come as sun-worshippers continued to descend upon the country’s parks and beaches today amid an expected 79F heatwave.
With parts of the country set to bask in temperatures hotter than Athens, Nice and Barcelona today, more revellers are expected to flock to the nations beauty spots.
However locals at English beauty spots appealed for day-trippers to stay away to avoid large crowds that could make it impossible for people to remain six feet apart.
Yesterday a little girl was dragged back from the edge of the cliff in Sussex after she peered over
Caroline Lucas, the MP for Brighton Pavilion, tweeted: ‘If you were thinking about visiting #Brighton & #Hove this Bank Holiday, please don’t.
‘Our beautiful city would love to welcome you back as soon as it’s safe – but that’s not yet. With so many services still closed & challenges with social distancing, its not business as usual.’
But visitors to Woolacombe in Dorset claimed the lack of any punishment for Dominic Cummings jarred with the government’s efforts to enforce the lockdown.