An extreme sports fan who parachuted from the top of a cliff near Beachy Head broke his leg and had to be rescued.

Sean Richards, an experienced parachutist, was injured when he went base jumping with two friends at the spot near Eastbourne.

Mr Richards, who is in his 30s, jumped 500ft from the top of cliffs near the Beachy Head Lighthouse - but seconds after his parachute opened, strong winds blew him towards the cliff face.

He managed to steer his way out of trouble but broke his leg when he landed in shallow water at speed.

His friends parachuted off the cliff top to check on his condition and alerted the coastguard using a mobile phone.

Base jumping is an extreme form of parachuting in which participants leap from structures only just tall enough to jump from.

Coxswain David Cork said: "Mr Richards said this was the first time he had been injured making a jump. He had a suspected broken leg but was not in any great pain.

"Beachy Head is not a known haunt for this sport and it is the first time we have had to rescue a base jumper."

Mr Richards, from Bicester, Oxfordshire, was taken to Eastbourne District General Hospital.