Families of suicide victims have reacted angrily over a festive real ale called the Beachy Head Christmas Jumper.

Relatives of people who have killed themselves at the notorious 530ft suicide spot near Eastbourne accused the local brewer of insensitivity in their choice of name.

The term jumper is a well-known phrase used to describe a person who dies or survives after falling from a great height.

Keith Lane, 61, whose wife Maggie died at the cliffs in March 2004, condemned the Beachy Head Brewery and said the label on the 7.2% ale should be replaced.

Mr Lane, a window cleaner who lives in Polegate, near Eastbourne, said: "When I first saw it I thought it was disgusting. I couldn't believe it. I know the brewery says it wasn't meant to be offensive but it doesn't take Einstein to work out that the word jumper has a link to suicide victims.

"I'm not saying it would encourage people to go up to Beachy Head but it upset me and I'm sure it would upset a lot of other people whose relatives have died there. I'm sure that there could have been another name that they could have chosen. I think the label should be changed completely."

Since his wife died, Mr Lane has dedicated himself to touring the cliff-top at Beachy Head regularly in search of people who look in distress. He claims to have saved 29 lives before he retired from his unofficial role in 2004.

Members of the Beachy Head Chaplaincy Team - who have reached out to people in distress at the cliffs since 2004 - also called on the brewery to rethink the name. A spokesman for the team said: "Beachy Head is also a place of outstanding beauty and we would encourage a more positive message in the name of the locally-made ale, rather than cause genuine upset amongst those who have lost a friend or relative at Beachy Head."

Roger Green, head brewer at Beachy Head, could not be reached for comment, but said: "There is no evil intention.

"This started with a pump clip showing Father Christmas in a big fluffy jumper but when we produced labels that did not reproduce because we have a standard shot on our labels. It was purely a running joke on the famous woolly jumper. (The link to Beachy Head) was unintentional certainly. We know this is a very delicate subject and have the utmost respect for the job the chaplains do."