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A THOUGHTLESS camper pitched a tent on the edge of a 150ft crumbling cliff.

Locals were shocked when the spot the campsite erected just a few feet from the rockfall-prone cliff in West Bay, Doreset.

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The beauty spot was made famous in ITV crime drama Broadchurch.

The camper, a lone man in a t-shirt and shorts, scaled a fence placed by the council to stop walkers going near the cliff edge.

The man would have also ignored the numerous “warning” signs to reach the spot.

Nine rockfalls were recorded last year alone, with a huge pile of debris below the cliffs from previous landslips.

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In January, a catastrophic collapse sent 500 tonnes of rock crashing down onto the beach below.

Boulders the size of small cars smashed into the sand, unleashing a suffocating dust cloud into the sky.

But despite the threat of a fatal plunge, the camper seemingly slept above a huge crack in the 180-million year-old sandstone which could give way at anytime.

A witness said: “That’s what you call living life on the edge.

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“They clearly decided it was the perfect vantage point to watch the sunset before going to sleep for the night.”

The camper also faced the risk of being hit by a stray golf ball as he positioned himself to the side of the green of the 15th hole at Bridport and West Dorset Golf Club.

The camper was spotted at 8pm last night by photographer Graham Hunt who could not believe what he was seeing.

He said: “I don’t know what goes through people’s minds but I suppose they are thinking ‘I’m going to sleep here because I have the best view of the sunset’.

“The footpath has been closed for two and a half years by the council because they believe it is unsafe.

“He had to jump over a fence and ignore clear warning signs to get there.

“It does seem rather idiotic.”

In 2012 tourist Charlotte Blackman, 22, was crushed to death by a huge landslip as she walked under the cliffs further along the World Heritage Site at Burton Bradstock.

A Dorset Council spokesperson said: “The Jurassic Coast looks the way it does because of erosion – meaning it is always on the move.

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“It is a wonderful place to visit, but it’s important to use common sense and caution – stay away from the edge and base of cliffs and always pay attention to warning signs and safety messages.”

The Dorset beauty spot has been popular among tourists this summer, with thousands of sunseekers flocking to the country’s coastlines.


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