Tourists ignore ‘do not pass’ signs to take photos on edge of eroding 150ft cliff

Tourists have been casually risking their lives by perching on top of an eroding 150-foot-high cliff to get the perfect photo.

The chalky cliffsides of Seaford Head in the East Sussex seaside town have long drawn countless people up and down Britain every year.

But one man visiting over the Bank Holiday weekend was stunned to see someone posing for pictures on the tip of the cliff.

‘Do Not Pass’ signs around the area read: ‘Be aware that Chalk Cliff Falls are common in this area.’

Philip Carter, from Horsham in West Sussex, noticed one woman with her feet nearly dangling off the cliff on May 29.

‘I was thinking just how idiotic it is,’ Philip said.

‘No picture is worth the risk. I had my heart in my mouth.’

Philip, 61, said that with blustery winds whipping Seaford Head and a long jagged crack just below where the woman was standing, he feared the worst.

‘Just one gust and it could have been a disaster,’ the operations manager said, ‘she was just moments away from something going wrong.’

While Seaford Head is a well-known beauty stop, vibrant adonis blue butterflies and moon carry flowers calling the Local Nature Reserve home.

But thousands of tonnes of chalk fall from the cliffs each year, with the no-entry signs adding: ‘Standing too close to cliff edges is dangerous.’

The Sussex Wildlife Trust says the crumbling cliffs are down to chalk being a soft material, vulnerable to the harsh waves below.

Over time, parts of the cliff begin to slump before falling off, something that can happen suddenly without warning – posing a threat to both those atop the cliff or anyone down below.

County officials and the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) have urged people to stay safe when traipsing around the cliffs.

Councillor Claire Dowling said: ‘We are incredibly lucky to have such a beautiful coastline in East Sussex, which attracts visitors from far and wide.

‘But the cliffs are extremely unstable and prone to regular chalk falls, putting visitors at risk if they don’t take care when on top of the cliffs or on the beach below.’

The RNLI said there are a fair few things people can do to stay safe when exploring precarious coastline cliffs like Seaford Head.

A spokesperson for the charity said that people would be wary of their surroundings and steer clear of cliff edges.

They added to keep dogs on short leashes or not picnic on the shores just below.

‘The RNLI doesn’t condemn the actions of anyone who gets into the danger on the water or along our coastlines,’ the spokesperson said.

‘We’re here to offer safety advice to help everyone stay safe and have an enjoyable time when they visit the coast.’

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