Students put themselves in 'extreme danger' when they sat on the edge of a 150ft cliff to take photographs, coastguards said.

The foreign students were seen dangling their legs over the top of the huge East Cliff at West Bay while snapping photographs.

Amazingly, despite a warning from coastguards to stay back, the students returned to the edge of the cliff a short time later to take more pictures, unaware of the dangers.

The incident has prompted a warning from coastguards that 'no photograph is worth risking your life for'.

The impressive East Cliff is a famous landmark on the Jurassic Coast and provided the backdrop for the ITV crime drama Broadchurch which was filmed in West Bay.

But the crumbling cliffs are dangerous and rescuers are frequently called there amid reports of people putting their lives at risk.

Members of West Bay Coastguard had gone to the harbour early on Friday evening to meet the Lyme Regis Lifeboat which was bringing in a fishing boat which had broken down.

A team spokesman said: "As officers were waiting for the vessel to arrive, two persons were spotted sitting on the very edge of East Cliff, legs over the side, taking photographs. As both persons had put themselves in a place of extreme danger, officers relocated the rescue vehicle to end of East Pier and used its siren and onboard speaker system to transmit a safety warning after which they both moved away from the edge.

"Turning their attention back to the broken down vessel which had now arrived at the harbour, officers assisted with getting the boat to its berth and making sure the occupant was ok.

"As the team were about to stand down, the two persons on the cliff had again returned to a place of danger to continue taking photographs.

"Officers quickly relocated to East Beach car park and two team members made their way to the top of the cliff to talk with the pair, who turned out to be photography students visiting from abroad. Stern safety advice was dispensed after which they descended the cliff and left the area."

The spokesman added "The Jurassic Coast is a wonderful place to come and visit and offers some splendid photographic opportunities.

"However, no photograph is worth risking your life and we strongly urge members of the public to read the local warning signs and use good judgement and common sense when visiting the area.

"Stay safe on the coast this school holiday, but if you find yourself in difficulty, or if you are concerned for others, do not hesitate…

Dial 999 and ask for the Coastguard."