Man dies after cliff collapse on Suffolk beach

'There were 50 or 60 people who were desperately trying to dig the man free,' says witness

File photo of the beach near Thorpeness, Suffolk (Roger Jones/Creative Commons)

A man has died after a cliff collapse on a beach in Thorpeness, Suffolk.

The victim, believed to be in his 50s, died at the scene before responders could find him, despite a multi-service rescue operation involving police.

"Despite the efforts of those at the scene, the man was located but had sadly died," Suffolk Constabulary said in a statement. "Police are treating the death as non-suspicious and will prepare a file for the coroner."

“The emergency service response was tremendous," an eyewitness, who did not wish to be named, told the Ipswich Star: “There were 50 or 60 people who were desperately trying to dig the man free.”

Bev Allen, Maritime Operations Controller for the UK Coastguard, said: “This was a large scale search and rescue effort in which multiple agencies worked together to free the trapped person."

"We would remind people to be mindful when out walking on the coast. Standing on cliff edges and at the base of a cliff are dangerous places to be as it is impossible to predict when the next piece might fall or how big it will be.”