A Labrador puppy and his owner both had to be saved by trained cliff rescue specialists after falling over a cliff near Mawnan Church on Monday (25/7).

The coastguard rescue team was called to Mawnan Shear just before 3pm after the ten month-old pup named Ted chased his ball over the edge of the cliff, falling around 45 feet and becoming stuck.

One of his owners had followed him over in a failed rescue attempt, and himself became stuck around 25 feet from the top.

The team confirmed that the job was a technical rope rescue, and called on colleagues from Porthoustock Coastguard Rescue Team, before setting up an indirect descent, using trees as natural anchors, and sending a specialist rope rescue technician over the edge..

The rescuer secured the dog walker before returning for Ted, who was recovered in an animal rescue bag, with both seemingly none the worse for wear.

A spokesperson for Falmouth Coastguard Rescue Team said: "Appropriate safety advice was passed on and we remind dog owners to keep control of their pets near the cliff edges. Only yesterday our colleagues at Padstow Coastguard Rescue Team were tasked to a similar incident, sadly this time the dog didn't survive.

"Many thanks to the guys from Porthoustock for the turnout and also to the two walkers who stayed with the casualties and were able to direct us in to the precise location for this rescue."

Ted's owner told the Packet: "We do think ourselves to be responsible dog owners as we were not playing ball anywhere near the cliff.

"To our dismay, Ted found another dog's ball in the undergrowth and pushed it off the cliff whilst chasing it. It was terrible."

Anyone whose dog goes over a cliff or becomes stuck in mud is urged not to attempt a rescue themselves, but to call 999 and ask for the coastguard.