A Sussex beauty spot is under threat because of changes to the environment.

National Trust (NT) workers have warned coastline beauty spots such as Beachy Head, near Eastbourne, could crumble or disappear as sea levels rise.

They also warned the shape of the Sussex coastline could change in as little as 50 years.

Bob Jarman, head of sustainability for the NT, warned sea defence work carried out to protect one area of the coastline could cause more damage further along the coast.

The cliffs stand 500ft high at their peak and have gained a reputation as a suicide spot.

A spokeswoman for the NT said reports that whole villages could disappear were misleading but added global warming was taking its toll on the coastline.

She said: "These places have always been exposed to change but they are now suffering from the consequences of global warming as climate change accelerates sea level rise, the frequency and height of surge waves and the incidence of storms.

"The Trust is determined to continue to protect the coastal environment while enabling it to adapt to long-term changes."

The NT owns 600 miles of coast. Parts of the East Sussex coastline have been the subject of sea defence work in the past year.

The steps at Birling Gap, near Beachy Head, Eastbourne, were moved back as the cliff continued to crumble into the sea.

The work cost £35,000 with the help of funding from Wealden District Council, the Sussex Downs Conservation Board and the National Trust. Cottages at the edge of the cliff lay mainly deserted as erosion continues.