Warning issued after dog dies in Brean Down cliff fall in Somerset

A dog has died after falling from a cliff at Brean Down, prompting a warning from emergency services to keep dogs on the lead while walking along the coast.

The incident happened just before 10am on Sunday (21 August) with crews deployed from RNLI Weston Lifeboat Station.

The owners were walking their two dogs along the coast when one of them disappeared from view.

Rescue teams carried out a search and managed to locate the dog, but sadly it died. It was returned to its owners.

A spokesperson for the Burnham Coastguard Rescue Team said: "Today is a timely reminder that no matter how well you think your dog is trained, or how good its recall is, they are still dogs that love to chase, run, and explore, so at all times they must be kept on leads on high ground."

The team called for people to avoid negativity towards the dog's owners, saying it wants to "educate" others and "highlight the dangers" posed to animals when on high ground.

"The owners have suffered a loss and that is lesson enough," they added.

They said they often hear from dog owners that their well-behaved pets will not run off.

The spokesperson said: "This is always the first thing we are told when attending these incidents, sadly it only needs to happen once."