A MIDDLE-AGED paraglider has been airlifted to hospital after misjudging his landing on coastal cliffs.

The man, from North Yorkshire, smashed into the side of sea cliffs towering at Saltburn.

Friends he was with tried to scramble down the cliffs to him, while coastguard officials and paramedics clambered 100 feet up the cliff face to reach him from the beach.

A spokeswoman for the Coastguard said: "He misjudged his landing and hit the sides of the cliff instead of landing on the top.

"There are people who were with him, went down to him. He has been fully conscious throughout, complaining of back pain.

"Obviously it is just one of those things. There was nothing to suggest he was doing anything dangerous or out of hand."

A rescue helicopter from RAF Bulmer winched the man to safety after getting in close to the cliff face.

The coastguard said: "It's not an ideal situation, they do take certain precautions, but they are trained to do this."

The man flown to Middlesbrough's James Cook Hospital for a precautionary check up.

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