FAMILIES with young children have been risking their lives to hunt for fossils by climbing up cliffs at Charmouth beach and digging into the unstable surface.

Recent photos show children digging into the cliffs just a few feet below large rocks which are resting on muddy outcrops above their heads.

The cliffs have been the site of a number of landslides and rockfalls in the last few years.

Dozens of Charmouth residents took to Facebook to discuss the safety risks of fossil-hunting near cliffs and offer solutions.

Charmouth resident Steve Gillan, who took photos (above), said: "There were children and families at the foot of cliffs, which can obviously be unstable, with visitors digging into the cliffs themselves for ammonites.

"Not abiding by the fossiling code can bring danger to visitors. I know the excellent shop that hires out the hammers explicitly advises visitors to look on the beach for fossils, and this responsible attitude can only help - people just need to listen."

Mr Gillan also said he had spoken to Charmouth Parish Council about the issue, who said they 'take the issue seriously' and will be introducing new signage in the area to strengthen existing warnings.

Richard Edmonds, earth science manager at the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site, said: "We are very concerned [about it], particularly for little kids and their parents [climbing the cliffs]; I sat there in Lyme recently watching the same thing. Cliffs are clearly unstable, that's why we are saying to people to always stay away from the cliffs, but unfortunately there is a proportion of people who ignore the signs.

Speaking about concerns over damage caused to the cliffs, Mr Edmonds added: "In 1982 there was a public enquiry asking whether these people were damaging the cliffs. The results of that showed damage from the natural processes were so much greater [...] that it doesn't really damage the cliffs in the slightest.

"But if you want to find the best fossils there are actually down on the beach where the sea has done the hard work for you and washed all the mud away. Otherwise it's just crumbly and covered in mud and the fossils are very difficult to find."

Phil Davidson, geological warden for Charmouth Heritage Coast Centre, said a beach warden will be patrolling the area from the Easter holidays onwards, helping people to get the most out of the activity.

He said: “It’s not a new problem; we have signs up but some people will just ignore them. Lots of people seem to think that the cliffs are where you find them.

"You’re not actually allowed to hammer away at the cliffs. Even if you hammer away continuously at the cliffs, you probably still won’t find anything.

“The reality of it is that you don’t need a hammer to go fossil hunting, they are more a distraction than anything else. The most important thing is to know what to look for and then use your eyes for loose fossils.