A 13-year-old boy was lifted to safety in the second dramatic cliff-top rescue by emergency services in less than 48 hours.

Eastbourne inshore lifeboat and a Coastguard rescue team were alerted at around 1pm yesterday when a member of the public heard cries for help while out walking at Cow's Gap, Beachy Head.

Rescuers found a boy wearing only shorts and a T-shirt stranded 170ft up the cliff face.

The location was just yards from the scene of Tuesday's crash when a car containing five people drove over a 100ft cliff at Holywell, Eastbourne.

Ropes were thrown to the 13-year-old, believed to be a Polish student, but he was unable to move himself from his perilous position.

He was able to talk to his rescuers who shouted to him from both the cliff top and the foot of the 300ft drop.

After more than two-and-a-half hours on the cliff, the Dover Coastguard helicopter was called in to winch the youth to safety.

It took the helicopter around 15 minutes to slowly manoeuvre over the cliff before a crew member was lowered on a line to save the student, known only as Michael.

He was eventually winched up in the arms of his rescuer and taken to Eastbourne District General Hospital.

Chris Howden, 61, of Old Town, Eastbourne, was praised by the rescue team in alerting them to the incident.

He said: "I was just walking along when I heard his cries for help. He was obviously very distressed and must have been down there quite a while, although he didn't speak much English."

Bob Blackburn, sector manager for East Sussex Coastguard, said: "It was extremely fortunate the lad was spotted by someone passing by.

"With such a large area it is very easy for people to be stranded for sometime without us knowing.

"It seems he did not fall as he was not seriously injured. We believe he may have been trying to climb up the cliff from the beach below which is obviously a very dangerous thing to do."

Mr Blackburn said the last two days had been very busy ones for Coastguard and lifeboat personnel after a car crash and a cliff rescue within a mile of each other.

He said: "It has been a very busy week for us. Unfortunately a lot of it comes down to safety near the cliffs.

"A lot of people perhaps do not appreciate the danger here."

The foreign student was expected to be discharged from hospital last night after treatment to an injured hand.