A major emergency services response was launched following a cliff fall at East Beach in West Bay on Sunday evening.

West Bay Coastguards, Dorset Police, South Western Ambulance Service, fire crews from Bridport, Dorchester and Weymouth and the Hazardous Area Response Team were all called to the scene.

There were concerns that there may have been people on the beach below the cliffs at the time of the rock fall.

Due to the high tide and the unstable cliffs, access to the site of the rock fall was not possible.

A local resident made themselves available with a drone and this was utilised to search the area around the cliff fall, with nothing found.

Further members of the public who were at sea also made themselves known and said they had seen the rock fall and were quite certain there was not anyone on the beach during the collapse.

The Environment Agency were contacted and CCTV footage was requested from the camera located on east pier. They confirmed that, in their opinion, no persons were on the beach below the cliffs or on the footpath just before or during the collapse.

With this information and no reports of anybody missing, the decision was made to stand down from the incident.

The police and coastguards have cordoned off the beach and the coast path between West Bay and Freshwater

These cliffs are extremely dangerous and further rock falls are expected. The public are advised to stay away from the top and base of the cliffs.