Dog owners warned after spaniel rescued from Brean Down cliffs in Burnham-on-Sea

The spaniel was 'unfazed' by the incident. Credit: Burnham Coastguard Rescue Team

A dog has been rescued after falling part way down the cliffs at Brean Down in Somerset.

The Burnham Coast Guard Rescue team were alerted at 10.50am on Monday 19 April and the Burnham Lifeboat assisted with the operation.

They were able to steer their lifeboat close to the cliff edge, where a crew member then coaxed the spaniel into the boat.

The crew steered the 'unfazed' dog round the north side of the Brean peninsula, where it was reunited with its owner. 

A lifeboat crew hands the dog to waiting coastguard members. Credit: Burnham Coastguard Rescue Team

Brean Down - a peninsula and popular walking spot owned by the National Trust - has unfenced cliffs and jagged rocks, especially on its south side.

The coastguard is warning owners to keep their dogs on leads when in the area, saying: "This is a happy and positive ending to the story but a timely reminder to dog walkers to always keep dogs on leads when on high ground.

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"The sights, smells and seemingly safe flat terrain can overwhelm almost any dog's senses and they can get lost in the moment.

"Many dogs have been lost over the years and we have seen firsthand how it affects the owners and their families."