The pilot of a hang glider has sustained 'serious' injuries after crashing into a cliff.

A man in his 20s was piloting the hang glider when it crashed into the cliff near Common Hill in Beer.

The collision resulted in the man suffering facial injuries which the police has described as 'serious'  and resulted in him being airlifted to Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital via the Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance. 

The incident also saw rescue teams from the Lyme Regis and Beer coastguard, a lifeboat from Lyme Regis Lifeboat Station, and paramedics from South Western Ambulance Service and a hazardous response team also attended.

A spokesperson for Devon and Cornwall Police said: "Police and ambulance were called at 12.45pm on Saturday, March 30 following a hang glider crash on cliffs near Common Hill in Beer.

"The hang glider is believed to have crash-landed during take-off.

"The pilot, a man in his 20s, sustained serious facial injuries.

"The Air Accidents Investigation Branch was notified of the incident."

A spokesperson for HM Coastguard said: "HM Coastguard received a call at about 1.05pm on March 30 reporting that a man in a hang glider had crashed into a cliff at Beer Head.

"Coastguard rescue teams from Lyme Regis and Beer were sent, as well as the Lyme Regis RNLI lifeboat, South Western Ambulance Service, an air ambulance and Devon and Cornwall Police.

"The person was taken to hospital by air ambulance.

A spokesperson for the Lyme Regis Coastguard added: "Tasked with Beer Coastguard Rescue Team & Lyme Regis Lifeboat to a hang glider pilot with serious injuries on Beer Head.

"Casualty treated by South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust and transferred to hospital by Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance."

A spokesperson for the South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SWASFT) said:

"We were called at 12:45hrs on Saturday, March 30 to an incident near Beer.

"We sent a double-crewed land ambulance, an operations officer, an air ambulance and a hazardous area response team to the scene and we conveyed one patient by air ambulance to Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital.”