Suicides at Beachy Head are so common they rarely make headline news these days.

But in the past fortnight, five bodies have been picked up from the base of the cliffs.

It has also become a venue for joint-suicide pacts made over the internet.

These deaths have a huge impact on local services. It costs £3,500 to launch the Eastbourne inshore and offshore RNLI lifeboats.

There are then the additional costs of the police, ambulance, coastguard and coroner's officer.

According to lifeboatman Eddie Buckland, people are drawn to the beauty spot purely because of its reputation.

All these deaths are individual tragedies and it is a sad loss whenever or wherever people choose to take their own lives.

Those who are left to deal with the aftermath say the more attention drawn to such incidents at Beachy Head, the more people come to know it as a suicide spot.

All we can hope is that the thousands of visitors who flock to Beachy Head for its breath-taking scenery will help feed its image as a beauty spot rather than its more sinister reputation.