A paraglider was recovering today after he came crashing down to earth at Beachy Head.

Witnesses saw the middle-aged man tumble down west of Whitbread Hollow, near Eastbourne.

The Sussex Police helicopter was scrambled from Shoreham to airlift the man to the Eastbourne District General Hospital.

He spent last night in hospital but his injuries were described as non life-threatening.

His fall was witnessed by people walking in the sunshine just after 3.30pm yesterday.

Keith Wall, 53, saw him fall as he strolled along downland with wife Indra, 37, and son Danny, seven.

Mr Wall, from Croydon, Surrey, said: "I was walking along, turned round and saw his parachute had turned in on itself.

"It no longer had air in it. He fell to the ground with quite some force. It was apparent it was an accident and not intentional.

"I didn't have a mobile phone on me but I presumed he did. Sure enough, when I went over to him he was holding a phone in his hand so I dialled 999.

"He wasn't talking coherently and he was in pain. He was pointing out the places where it hurt.

"He was feeling dizzy and at one point he looked frightfully ill but the emergency services arrived soon after."

The paraglider is believed to come from Colchester, Essex.