A walker who got lost in dense undergrowth on the Dorset coast had to be rescued.

He was found and escorted to safety in a operation involving coastguards and a lifeboat.

West Bay Coastguard said the 67-year-old was walking in the Spittles area between Lyme Regis and Charmouth when he became disorientated in the dense undergrowth of the upper cliff levels. Unable to find a route to safety, the man dialled 999 and asked for the Coastguard.

The team worked with colleagues from Lyme Regis and the Lyme lifeboat to find the man on Saturday morning.

A spokesman said: "The West Bay officers started scanning the cliffs with binoculars.

"Other Officers from Lyme Regis had been deployed to various vantage points throughout the area and were also scanning for the lost walker.

"A report came in from the lifeboat stating that they thought they had spotted the casualty on the upper cliff levels, this was confirmed by officers.

"The West Bay Officers then redeployed to the Spittles area and set out on foot to join team members from Lyme to try and get to the man's position.

"After an off-track walk through dense undergrowth the man was finally reached. In good spirits and uninjured, he was escorted out of the area and back to the vehicles."

Coastguards have warned people exploring the coast to ensure they are prepared by taking a fully charged mobile phone, adequate clothing, sturdy footwear, sun protection and water.

Using a free smartphone app like ‘OS Locate’ would also mean you could give an accurate grid reference to emergency services, drastically cutting down the time it takes for help to get to you.