A badly injured dog has been carried to safety by the RNLI and cliff rescuers after falling from a cliff at a south Devon beach.

Tom, a German shorthaired pointer was rescued on Monda from a rocky ledge at the foot of cliffs at North hallsands, Start Bay, after falling 80 feet. 

An RNLI spokesman said: "The Dartmouth Coastguard Search and Cliff Rescue team were called to the cliffs west of North Hallsands beach after a German shorthaired pointer had fallen 80 feet.

"They could see the dog on a ledge at the foot of the cliffs and requested that the Dart RNLI inshore lifeboat recover him and reunite him with his owner on Hallsands beach. When the crew arrived the dog tried to come to them but his left front leg was quite deformed by a fracture. The crew carried the very well natured dog back to the boat. Once at the beach he was gently placed in a padded fish box for his owner to take him off to the vet."

"The RNLI are happy for dog owners to know that they will rescue animals in these situations. The worst situation is when the owner tries to rescue the pet and come to grief themselves. He later contacted the crew through the lifeboat station web site and told them.

“The vets are looking after him; he has a broken leg, a broken bone in his chest, and a broken jaw, also bruised lungs and liver. They are hopeful that he will recover.” The crew are looking forward to meeting him again when he is fully back in health."