A man was spotted posing for a picture while dangling his legs off Beachy Head.

The shocking photograph shows the man sat very close to the eroding chalk cliff top edge this weekend.

Martin Stitchener, 40, who captured the photograph said he was “stunned” by what he saw.

He told how he was celebrating his 40th birthday on Saturday when he saw a group “playing about” close to the edge of the cliff.

Mr Stitchener, of south London, said the group in the photo were taking it in turns to sit on the edge to take photos of each other.

He said: “Others on the cliffs were trying to avoid the group and looked stunned at the risks they were taking.

“I honestly could not believe that somebody would put themselves at such risk for a photo. You are a long time dead if you fall over that edge.”

A spokesman for Eastbourne RNLI said he was “horrified” by the picture.

He said: “It is so, so dangerous. I have seen the state of the cliffs. The erosion is terrible as a result of the rainfall. Parts of the cliff are falling away.

“You could easily lose your footing or be blown.”

A spokesman from Eastbourne Borough Council added: “We always strongly advise visitors to the cliffs at Beachy Head, and all along the Seven Sisters, to stay well back from the cliff edge.

“This warning is particularly important following weeks of rain which has resulted in rock falls and slips such as those seen at Birling Gap in which large sections of the cliff face have fallen into the sea.

“We are calling on visitors to pay close attention to warning signs that are in place.”

It is estimated that since January the chalk cliff at Birling Gap - just half a mile from Beachy Head - has suffered seven years of erosion and a series of chalk falls in recent weeks.

The Beachy Head Chaplaincy Team, which patrols the cliffs, did not respond to The Argus's requests for a comment yesterday.

However, there is no suggestion the image shows a suicide attempt.

Do you know the man in the picture? Contact news@theargus.co.uk or contact 01273 544512.