Three people have been seriously injured after jumping off cliffs into the sea at a beach in Dorset.
Two air ambulances landed at the scene at Durdle Door on Saturday afternoon and Somerset Live report the packed beach was closed by police at around 5pm.
Images posted on social media by Purbeck Police show helicopters landing on the sand and crowds leaving the beach en masse as the area was evacuated.
A video of the scene taken from a boat off the coast has been posted to Twitter appears to show the full stretch of sand packed with sunbathing visitors.
HM Coastguard and the RNLI helped to clear the area after police were called at around 3.45pm.
Dorset Police declared a "critical incident" as the force confirmed that three people had been injured.
A police spokesman said: "Officers and partner agencies are dealing with a critical incident at Durdle Door.
"The incident involved people jumping from the arch into the sea.
"Three people have been injured as a result. They are receiving medical attention.
"Emergency services are trying to deal with the incident. We ask please that you avoid the area for the rest of the day.
"If you are currently at the location, please calmly make your way home so we can ensure effective service delivery."
The police spokesman added: "The arch of Durdle Door is approximately 200 feet in height.
"Hitting water from that height can be critical.
"This is further compounded by tides, currents and altering depth of the sea bed.
"It is not an appropriate location for this type of activity."
Pictures taken earlier on Saturday showed the beach busy as the public were reminded to practise social distancing in the good weather following the relaxation of coronavirus lockdown restrictions.
