A woman was airlifted to hospital after falling from a cliff in West Dorset.

West Bay and Lyme Regis coastguard teams were alerted to a 'high risk female' on the cliff edge just to the east of Charmouth on Monday afternoon.

Devon and Cornwall police contacted the coastguard following concerns about a woman believed to be missing from Exeter.

West Bay coastguard described how officers were on their way to the scene when an update was received from police saying that the female had fallen from the cliff edge "approximately 20ft to a steep bank below".

A coastguard rescue helicopter and the South Western Ambulance Service HART team (Hazardous Area Response) were then also scrambled to the scene.

On arrival at Charmouth, the West Bay team met with the HART paramedics and drove in convoy off-road to the cliffside, where the police and Lyme Regis coastguard were already on scene.

Arriving shortly after, a rescue helicopter surveyed the area and then landed on the cliff nearby to provide ground assistance.

According to the coastguard a winch recovery was "not preferable".

Coastguard cliff technicians and a HART team paramedic worked to stabilise the casualty, provide pain relief and package her into a rescue stretcher.

She was then carried back to the top of the cliff to the waiting helicopter, which airlifted her to Southampton General Hospital for onward care and treatment.

A spokesperson from Devon and Cornwall Police said: "We were notified of reports of a woman in her 40s who was believed to be missing from Exeter.

"Emergency services including police from Devon and Cornwall and Dorset, ambulance and coastguard as well as the police helicopter located the woman near the cliffs east of Charmouth.

"She was reported to have sustained a possible pelvic injury and was taken to hospital in Southampton."

A spokesperson from South Western Ambulance Service said: "We were called on Monday at 5.47pm after a female patient had fallen. We sent various resources to attend the incident.

"The coastguard search and rescue helicopter rescued the lady, and took her on to hospital in Southampton for further treatment."