Durdle Door beach: Three seriously injured after jumping off cliffs at Dorset beauty spot

Three people have been seriously injured after jumping into the sea from cliffs in Dorset.

Two air ambulances rushed to the scene at Durdle Door on Saturday afternoon after onlookers reported concerns for the group's safety.

Police are now asking people to stay away from the popular tourist spot while they treat those wounded.

People were jumping from the iconic arch at the site, according to a post on Poole Police’s Facebook page.

Meanwhile, videos posted on other social media sites show people climbing and making the leap from the 200ft rocks.

Images shared by Dorset Council and Purbeck Police showed helicopters landing on the sand as crowds left the beach en masse.

HM Coastguard and the RNLI are working to clear the area after police were called at around 3.45pm.

Chief Inspector Claire Phillips, of Dorset Police, said: “We have had to close the beach at Durdle Door to allow air ambulances to land. As a result, we are evacuating the beach and the surrounding cliff area.

“I am urging people to leave the area to enable emergency services to treat the injured people.”

Pictures taken earlier on Saturday showed the beach busy as the public were reminded to practise social distancing in the good weather following the relaxation of coronavirus lockdown restrictions.