Cliff death man 'posed for photo'

The man was out with a group of friends when he fell

A man who fell 300ft (91m) to his death from the top of a cliff was posing for a photo at the time, holding on to a tuft of grass, coastguards said.

The "tragic accident" at Seaton in Devon on Sunday afternoon was witnessed by the 39-year-old Polish man's friends and nearby tourists.

The victim was found in bushes at the foot of Beer Hill and rescuers said he would have been killed instantly.

Coastguards have warned people to stay away from the edges of cliffs.

Maddy Davey, from Portland coastguard, said: "The man was posing for a photograph whilst holding on to a tuft of grass at the top of the cliffs.

He was seen by some tourists to fall down the sheer face of the cliffs Maddy Davey, Portland coastguard

"The grass gave way and he was seen by some tourists on the scene to fall down the sheer face of the cliffs and land in bushes at the bottom.

"It was the middle of the day. All the tourists were there, people along the cliff path, who witnessed it."

A police spokesman said the death appeared to be a "tragic accident" and the man's family were being informed.

In Kent, another man, thought to be Russian, died at the weekend after falling from cliffs near Folkestone.

A spokeswoman for the Maritime and Coastguard Agency warned walkers about the dangers of cliffs: "Often, despite appearances, they can be unstable and crumbly, as well as being slippery when wet," she said.