COASTGUARDS say a climber is "extremely lucky" to be alive after he survived an 80-ft fall down cliffs at Swanage.

Mark Pitcher, who is in his 30s and from Sturminster Newton, was airlifted to hospital with two suspected broken legs and back injuries following the accident.

Mr Pitcher was part of a group of eight people, including his wife, climbing cliffs at Durlston Country Park when he fell from the cliff near Anvil Point Lighthouse.

He was airlifted to Poole Hospital where he was last night described as comfortable.

Coastguards said they were alerted to the incident at 3.48pm on Saturday and the helicopter arrived to convey Mr Pitcher to hospital at 4.30pm.

Bruce Lack, watch manager at Portland Coastguard, said it was "sheer luck" Mr Pitcher survived.

He said: "I used to do a lot of climbing and I've seen people hurt themselves having fallen 10 feet so I think this guy was extremely lucky to be alive.

"It serves as a lesson to us all to check our equipment whether it be climbing or boating equipment before we put our lives at risk and obviously we would encourage climbers particularly to use two safety ropes or a proper belay.

"He landed on his feet, we believe. If he had landed on his head or back he could have broken his neck or back."

Senior ranger at Durlston Country Park, Robin Plowman, said Mr Pitcher had been walking in an area of cliffs called the Subliminal which is not the most difficult of climbs.

He said: "It's possibly some of the easiest climbing along the coast. There is a whole range of climbs and it's probably the most accessible. It is a climb that people tend to start on. It is an extensively climbed area.

"We reported it to the coastguards and they took appropriate action."