A dog fell 20ft off a cliff.

West Bay Coastguard rescue team was paged shortly before 8.30pm last night (Monday) by Solent Coastguard National Maritime Operations Centre (NMOC) to reports of a dog over West Cliff at West Bay.

The dog, a German Shepherd, was found trapped 15-20 feet down the cliff face and a full rope rescue system was set up by West Bay rescue team’s officer in charge.

Seven rescue officers from West Bay, including the station officer, went to West Cliff, along with backup from the Lyme Regis flank team.

A cliff technician was lowered to the friendly dog, which was recovered and brought back to his owner.

Following the incident, a spokesman for West Bay coastguard said: "The coastguard recommends that you always keep your dog on a lead on the cliffs and cliff paths.

"This is especially important for smaller breeds, as they can have difficulty seeing the cliff edge.

"Should you find yourself in a similar situation, never attempt self-rescue. Dial 999 and ask for the coastguard."

The coastguard was called less than 24 hours later on Tuesday afternoon, after a dog fell 35 metres off a cliff at Seatown.