Birling Gap visitors warned by RNLI over cliff falls

A lifeboat crew has urged people to stay away from the edge of a “fragile” cliff which could “fall at any time”.

Visitors to Birling Gap near Eastbourne, East Sussex, have been seen taking photos while standing right at the edge of the cliff during the recent sunny weather.

RNLI volunteer John Simcock said the cliff loses about 30cm (11.8in) of rock face every year and urged visitors to take care when standing close to the edge.

Mr Simcock, a coxswain for the Newhaven branch of the lifeboat service, said: “We are trying to give a message to stay at least 5m away from the edge just in case it does collapse.”

He added: “It’s obvious that Birling Gap is a very busy place.”

Mr Simcock said the chalk cliffs, part of the Seven Sisters, can become fragile when they get wet, leading to them crumbling and forming caves.

These caves become more fragile over time, leading to cliff falls, he added.

He said that cliff falls happen multiple times a year, with some taking out more than 4m (13.3ft) of the cliff face at a time.

The RNLI advised visitors to the cliffs to keep at least 5m (16.4ft) away from the edge at all times as a precaution.

Mr Simcock also advised dog walkers to keep their animals on leads near the cliffs.

More than 600,000 people visit Birling Gap and the Seven Sisters each year according to the National Trust, which manages the cliffs.

The trust has banned coaches from parking or dropping passengers off at Birling Gap as the site is “unable to cope” with the number of vehicles visiting.