Dog startled cliff-fall teenager

Asif's parents said he was a "brilliant lad"

An inquest has heard that a teenager plunged to his death from cliffs in Cornwall after being startled by a dog.

Asif Bharucha, 17, from Blackburn was with a party of students on a walk between Lizard Point and Kynance Cove last June when the accident happened.

The inquest was told the Muslim teenager regarded dogs as "unclean" and was afraid of being bitten by one.

The coroner at the inquest in Truro's municipal buildings recorded a verdict of accidental death.

Friends said as a dog approached the group, Asif became agitated and ran off. He appeared to lose his balance and fell from the cliff.

The owner of the black cross-breed dog told the inquest that he will always be haunted by the incident.

Describing Asif's death as a "tragic accident", his family paid tribute to their "brilliant" son, saying he was devoted to his family.