Two children have been pulled from a car by their mother seconds before it plunged more than 220ft down a cliff at The Lizard.

Falmouth Coastguard said one of the youngsters let the handbrake off the vehicle when it was parked at Polpeor Cove.

The family, understood to come from Gloucester, were on holiday when the accident happened. Police and rescue teams are still at the scene.

A coastguard spokesman said it was believed the children were unhurt.

"The family was on holiday and now all their worldly goods are in the car at the bottom of the cliff," he said.

A lifeboat is now trying to reach the vehicle to recover as much of the family's possessions as possible before it is totally submerged.