Falls warning after tourist dies at Cornwall cliffs

The coastguard warned tourists to take care on potentially treacherous cliff paths today after a holidaymaker plunged to his death.

The walker died after falling 50 metres (160ft) down a cliff in Cornwall as he was out walking with his wife.

While it is unknown whether recent wet weather played a part, heavy rain has hit the region hard in the last week, making cliff paths slippery.

The man, 52, understood to be from Basingstoke, Hampshire, was on holiday in the area with his family.

He fell from cliffs while out walking with his wife at Mullion on the Lizard Peninsula, south Cornwall, at about 7pm yesterday.

He was airlifted to the Royal Cornwall Hospital, Truro, where he was pronounced dead.

Police are treating the man's death as accidental. The coroner has been informed.

Falmouth Coastguard later issued a warning to anyone walking the cliffs in the region over the bank holiday break.

"There has been a lot of rain in Cornwall over the last week and people need to be very careful when they are out walking," a coastguard watch officer said.

"The rain has made the paths very very slippery and they can be treacherous," he added.

PA