A MAN has tragically died after falling off a cliff at a popular beauty spot in west Dorset. 

Police, the ambulance service and the coastguard rushed to Hive Beach at Burton Bradstock this afternoon after a call from a member of the public. 

A police spokesman said that they were called to reports of a man going over the cliff shortly before 1.45pm.

He was pronounced dead at the scene. 

The spokesman said: "Police were called at 1.38pm today to reports that a man had gone over the cliff at Hive Beach in Burton Bradstock.

"Officers, paramedics and the coastguard attended. Sadly the man was pronounced dead at the scene.

"The coroner has been notified but his next of kin are yet to be informed."

The spokesman added that at this stage the incident was not being treated as suspicious.

The police had no further information of the man's age or other details.

Eyewitnesses reported a large emergency service presence at the beach in the afternoon, with ambulance vehicles and several members of the coastguard on the scene as well as the police. 

An ambulance service spokesman told the Echo that it was called shortly before 1.45pm to the scene to treat one patient. 

The service sent two ambulances and the Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance was also called to attend. 

However, eyewitnesses reported that the air ambulance did not actually land and only circled the area. 

Onlookers reported an ambulance, paramedic first responder vehicle and police cars in the car park at Hive Beach. 

Coastguard teams also attended with the coastguard helicopter seen landing on the beach. 

The National Coastwatch Institute was also called to attend the incident by the coastguard. 

Roger Dauncey, from the NCI, said: "We were called by the coastguard at 13:55pm to say that they had had a call from a member of the public. 
"The asked the NCI to go down, they were shortly followed by a police officer."

The NCI said that a body was found beneath the cliffs.

The large emergency service presence had left the area by around 5pm but the NCI remained on the scene after the incident.