A woman survived a 150ft cliff fall from Beachy Head's highest point when she landed on a rock ledge.

She escaped with two broken wrists, spinal injuries and cuts when she tumbled down the notorious 525ft-high chalk cliff near Eastbourne.

Witnesses heard a rock fall and a scream before realising the woman, in her mid-20s, had plunged opposite the Beachy Head lighthouse.

One witness said the rock gave way as she got up from reading a book and she frantically attempted to regain a grip of the cliff.

She survived by landing on a ledge jutting out 8ft from the cliff-face, prompting a rescue operation involving coastguards, paramedics, police and lifeboats.

Coastguards used a loudhailer to reassure the woman as she drifted in and out of consciousness below, saying: "Please do not move. We will be down soon."

Emergency service teams were drafted to the drama from the South Coast's largest 999 display on the Western Lawns, two miles away on Eastbourne seafront.

Cliff rescue teams from Birling Gap and Eastbourne spent more than 30 minutes winching the semi-conscious woman up on a back-board in front of more than 100 people.

The barefoot woman was transferred with a neck brace to a waiting ambulance before being taken to the Eastbourne District General Hospital at 4pm on Saturday.

Damian Rowan, 32, was the first person to dial 999 after he and his wife, Deborah, heard the rock fall behind them.

They were among hundreds of day trippers enjoying Beachy Head's famous downland as temperatures hit 24C (75F).

Mr Rowan, from Hastings, said: "I heard the rock fall behind me so I turned round and saw a flash of the woman's feet as she went over.

"She tried to stop herself falling by trying to grab hold of the rock but it was no use. She tried to cling on to rock as she went down.

"I was really shocked and immediately dialled 999 on my mobile."

Tina Cooper, 35, of Seaside, Eastbourne, said: "How she survived I will never know.

People just don't go over cliffs like Beachy Head and survive. If that's not a miracle, I don't know what is."

The area where the woman fell is Beachy Head's highest point at 525ft and many people go there to commit suicide. Signs from the Samaritans are posted about 400 yards away.

Last month, a disabled driver cheated death when his car careered more than 200ft over the cliffs only to become wedged in trees and bushes growing on a ledge.

In July last year a man fell off Beachy Head but ended up phoning for help on his mobile after he landed on a ridge more than 200ft down.