A woman suffered horrific injuries when she leapt from a cliff at Beachy Head.

The 45-year-old was seen by passers-by throwing herself off the edge at the notorious suicide hotspot at about 3pm yesterday.

She fell 200ft but landed on a ledge, suffering what police described as “serious head and limb injuries”.

Witnesses told the Beachy Head chaplaincy team, who work to stop people killing themselves at the beauty spot near Eastbourne.

Police and the coastguard were called to the scene. A coastguard cliff rescue specialist climbed down from the edge to stay with the woman while they arranged to bring her to safety.

She was loaded onto a Solent Coastguard helicopter and taken to Eastbourne District General Hospital.

She remained there last night while police worked to contact her next of kin.