A Crufts show dog plummeted to its death from a cliff top near Brighton today.

The eight-month old Bouvier des Flandres dog, which qualified for the prestigious Crufts show on Saturday, was reported missing together with its owner, a Mr Biggs, at about 9.26am.

They had disappeared from the Rushey Hill Caravan Park in Peacehaven.

The site manager alerted the coastguard and a helicopter, the Newhaven lifeboat, Sussex police, Newhaven coastguard and Birling Gap coastguard were scrambled to the scene.

Mr Biggs was found part-way down the cliff with the body of the dog, having climbed down a set of steps to reach it.

He was uninjured and returned via the steps to break the news to his wife.

Coastguard rescuers climbed down to where the dog's body lay and carried it to the top of the cliff.

A spokesman for the caravan site, where the couple have had a holiday home for 15 years, said they were absolutely devastated.

He said Mrs Biggs had been taken to a medical centre to be treated for shock.

Its believed Mr Biggs had been walking five show dogs this morning when the accident happened.

The Bouvier des Flandres is a powerfully built, rough-coated dog. The breed was originally used as a farm dog, herding cattle and even pulling carts.