CAMPERS have been criticised for pitching tents half way up "very dangerous" cliffs on the Jurassic Coast and staying for the night.
People were spotted in tents last week on a ledge half way up a muddy cliff in Charmouth, directly below an area that had previously slipped away.
Managers at the National Trust, who own some of the coastal land in Charmouth, have warned that "under no circumstances" should people camp on the fragile Jurassic Cliff edge.
Helen Mann, National Trust general manager for west and north Dorset, said: ββThe coast and cliffs all along this stretch of the Jurassic Coast are very dangerous, unstable and liable to landslips and falls at any time and without warning.
"There are warning notices advising people where it is safe go, but people should always stay back from the cliff edges, whether on, above or below them. Under no circumstances should anyone camp close to or on the cliff edge.
"We want people to enjoy this extraordinary coastline, but if they want to camp, they should stay in officially recognised, and safe, camping areas β camping other than at designated sites is not permitted on the Heritage Coast."
The cliffs at Charmouth are prone for mudslides and rock falls. Last week, a family had a lucky escape after being pulled away from the cliffs by a fossil warden.
A spokeswoman from the Charmouth Heritage Coast Centre, said: "On the way back from a fossil walk, one of our wardens stopped to ask a family to stop digging in the cliffs. "Moments after she pulled them away, the section they were digging into crumbled and fell.
"Digging into the cliffs is very dangerous. You are putting yourselves and others at risk. Stay away from the cliffs at all times."
Claire Phillips witnessed the campers scaling the cliffs - which also included the people lighting a fire.
She said: "There was a large group of people with adults, but mainly children.
"The children varied in age. There were two tents on the left and a fire on the right. The adults were allowing the children to climb the cliffs.
"At one point on of the younger boys got stuck very high up and had to be rescued by some of the older children. When my mother and I returned the next evening everything was in the same position , with a fire still going and children still climbing the cliffs.
"It appeared that they had camped there overnight."
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