A WARNING has been issued after two boys were seen throwing rocks from a clifftop onto a crowded beach.

The two youngsters were spotted standing at the top of the iconic East Cliff in West Bay, looking down onto the beach and throwing stones before running away.

An eyewitness took a video of the incident.

He said: “I saw them throwing the stones, so I took a video of them doing it. They then did it again before running off. The beach was crowded at that time, it was a sunny day and there were lots of people walking or sunbathing.

“Luckily the stones did not hit anyone but it could have been so much worse.”

The beachgoer also saw people sitting at the base of the crumbling cliffs, despite warning signs telling visitors not to get too close.

Senior warden at the Charmouth Heritage Coast Centre Phil Davidson said it was ‘silly behaviour’.

He added that small cliff movements have taken place this weekend at Stonebarrow Beach.

“It is really important that people pay heed to the warning signs and use their common sense.

“It is difficult because a lot of people do things and not only put themselves in danger, but also endanger other people. It’s entirely unnecessary.”

Mr Davidson added: “One of the problems we have here also is people hacking away at the cliffs, looking for fossils.

“This is a World Heritage Site, you shouldn’t be doing that. We have our own fossil warden who does a very good job, and walks up and down the beach telling visitors how they can safely and responsibly look for fossils.

“One of the other things to be aware of is the tides. We have had instances along the coast where people have been cut off.

“The thing to remember is, if you’re not sure, just ask. There is a wealth of local knowledge and that is what we are here for.

“We just want people to enjoy our beautiful coastline safely.”

It is not the first time this summer that visitors have been warned about the dangers of the cliffs.

The National Trust issued a warning last week urging people to stay away at least five metres from cliff edges at its land at Ballard Downs and Old Harry Rocks. And Dorset Marine Police tweeted: “Take care at cliff edges, don’t be tomorrow’s headline.” The warning came after two men were spotted taking ‘cliff selfies’ in Dover.

And in July, campers pitched their tent next to an RNLI warning sign, so that the safety message could not be seen.