A DOG which slipped its lead and fell down a cliff face on a sunny sea front walk was successfully rescued thanks to the efforts of fire crews, backed by the Coastguard.

Specialist rope rescue teams from the County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service combined to bring Harry, the Golden Retriever, to safety following his ordeal at Noses Point, Dawdon, just south of Seaham.

The alert was raised by the Coastguard, after it received a report that a dog had slipped its lead and fallen in scree down the cliff face, at 12.30pm on Saturday.

Coastguard teams attended, while rope rescue crews from Seaham Fire Station, joined by colleagues from Newton Aycliffe, worked in combination to successfully lower officers to reach Harry.

They then gathered the startled dog and managed to bring him back to the cliff top to reunite him with his grateful owner, by 1.20pm

The fire service teams used their “working at height” kit to make their way two-thirds of the way down the cliff face, where Harry had come to rest, just above the former Blast Beach.

A passing RNLI lifeboat remained on scene off the coast as a precaution in case safety cover was required from the sea side of the cliffs.

The Coastguard, which had teams from Seaham and Sunderland in presence, reminded dog owners to ensure their pets are kept on leads when walking along cliff tops.

Noses Point is on the now reclaimed site of the former Dawdon Colliery.