A dog plunged to its death after falling down the cliffs of Brean Down on Sunday afternoon (October 12th), prompting a fresh safety warning.

A family from Bristol was walking their alsatian along the top of the Down when it ran off and plunged down the cliffs on the south side.

Brean’s beach warden was alerted shortly after 3pm, but there was nothing that could be done to help the animal, which was instantly killed.

“The owners were understandably very sad,” beach warden Dave Furber told Burnham-On-Sea.com. “They had been walking near the trig point when their dog went missing. The family came down to the beach and then walked along the base of the cliffs to recover him.”

“It serves as another sad warning about keeping dogs under close control and heading the warning signs.”

Sunday’s incident is the latest in a series of accidents involving dogs falling from the cliffs at Brean Down in recent years. The National Trust, which manages Brean Down, introduced a number of new warning signs in 2011, including several on the steps leading up the Down.

A National Trust spokesman said: “We appeal to all dog owners to take extra care when using the cliff-top paths. Dogs should be kept under close control or on a lead to prevent accidents like this happening.”

Pictured: The warning signs at Brean Down and, above, the spot where the dog fell to its death

 
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