Daredevil risks his life by launching himself off 100ft cliff

This is the moment a foolhardy daredevil launched himself from a 100ft cliff in one of the most reckless tombstoning stunts caught on camera in the UK.

The unidentified jumper stood poised on the edge of the cliff in Penzance, Cornwall, before hurling himself into the air.

With arms flailing, he spent around 2.5 seconds in freefall before crashing into the sea below.

The sea is believed to be about 20ft deep in the spot where he landed.

Photographer Alastair Sopp caught the leap on camera in a sequence of 11 images.

Alistair said he spoke to the 'tombstoner' shortly after he made his death-defying jump.

He explained he'd made the dive after studying tide and weather charts for weeks but it still took a while to pluck up the courage.

'It was a breathtaking moment. I couldn't believe he jumped from so high up.

'I went and saw him down below and he said a lot of planning had gone into it, visiting on different tides, waiting for weather, and diving down to check depth.

'He said it was a calculated risk. It took him a while to compose himself and stop his legs shaking before being confident enough to make the leap. He told me he'd hurt his ribs and he probably won't jump it again.'

Despite repeated calls for young people to stop throwing themselves off cliffs and piers into Britain's waters, the message clearly had not filtered through to this daredevil.

Each year coastguards and ambulance services are called to deal with horrific injuries including paralysis and broken necks, as people leap into the water unaware of the risks.

Many hurl themselves into the sea not realising the dangers which lurk below the surface, such as rocks and debris, while others simply jump into shallow water, leaving themselves at risk of potentially fatal and brain spinal injuries.