A horrified parent slammed an '"idiot" who appeared to turn her back and send a text while two young children clambered down rocks near a notorious blowhole.
Mum Harley said she watched in dread as the children edged towards the 80ft hole at the landmark in Cornwall where a woman died in 2018 and a dog perished in 2020.
She says the woman appeared to be oblivious to the potential jeopardy they were in and that the children aged no more than seven years old.
For safety reasons people are advised to stay away from the Round Hole which is very close to the cliff edge and is not fenced off.
Cornwall Live reported Harley saying in a post of Facebook: "We've seen it all this holiday.
“This however, takes the absolute prize. Appears to be a mother with her (clearly key stage one) children allowing them to go down into the hole while she's stood there with her back to them on her phone."
The incident happened on Friday morning as Jo, her husband and 16-year-old daughter walked along the cliff path at Trevose Head, near Padstow .
Jo, a regular visitor to the area over many years, said: "We just saw the woman on her phone messaging while the two children were standing on the edge.
“We said to ourselves how dangerous it looked. They were edging their way down while she turned her back on them.
"I couldn't stand there and watch but when we turned around she was still ignoring them and they were going further and further down.
“My daughter shouted back to her to please look after her children but she didn't respond.
"The children didn't know how dangerous it was but a grown adult should have. I don't know quite where her head was. I don't know if she was a parent or guardian or nanny but any sensible adult would look at a hole and see how dangerous it was and not go anywhere near the edge of it.
"I just wish people would use their common sense. If people see a big hole in the ground, don't go near it."
Bank holiday day trippers were seen perilously close to the edge of a cliff which has endured major sudden collapses in recent years.
Young and old were spotted peering into the abyss atop Beachy Head, Eastbourne, seemingly unbothered by the sheer drop in front of them.
In one leg-wobbling shot one man can be seen lunging powerfully forward - his foot mere inches from the edge - so he can peer down at the rocks below.
Some were seen having a picnic and doing piggy back rides at the famous landmark.
