A boy was recovering last night after he fell down a 100ft cliff.

Callum Littlejohn, 11, was airlifted to the James Cook University Hospital, Middlesbrough, after he slid and fell down Blackhall Rocks, east Durham, on to the beach on Wednesday.

He underwent surgery to remove blood clots from his brain and, after a scan later in the day, was given the all-clear.

He had been playing with friends at about 1pm when he slipped down a cliff face and fell the final 20ft onto the beach.

While emergency services were called, a friend ran to tell Callum's grandparents, Thomas and Billie Rundle, who live nearby.

Mr Rundle said: "I quickly rang Callum's mum, my daughter Julie, and all of us went down to the beach, where a helicopter had already arrived, and Callum was being treated by paramedics.

"He was conscious, but had a deep gash in the back of his head, and it was thought that he may have had a broken arm and leg."

Blackhall's county councillor, Alan Cox, who visited the family yesterday, called for coastal wardens to keep a watch for youngsters, especially during school holidays.

He said: "It is impossible for us to fence off the hundreds of miles of cliff on the east Durham coast, but I have contacted the officer who is in charge of looking after the coastal strip to see if there is anything we can do."