A PENSIONER was rushed to hospital with a suspected broken arm after attempting to climb the cliffs on Charmouth Beach.

The man, who is 68 years old, was visiting the area as part of a day trip and tried to climb the cliffs approximately 100 metres east of the River Char just after 2.30 on Thursday.

He hadn’t got very high up the cliffs when he lost his footing and fell down, landing badly on his arm on some rocks below with fellow visitors phoning the emergency services.

Two ambulances, one a rapid response vehicle, and Lyme Regis Coastguard were called to the incident.

A South Western Ambulance spokesman said: “A call came in at 2.40pm to attend an incident where a man had fallen a short distance off the cliff face.

“A rapid response ambulance vehicle and an ambulance were sent out to the scene, where paramedics treated the man. The man had upper arm and shoulder injuries and was taken to Yeovil Hospital by the land ambulance crew.

A spokesman for the Lyme Regis coastguard said apart from his arm and shoulder injuries, the man wasn’t otherwise badly injured and just “slightly embarrassed.”