A “remarkable” dog had a lucky escape after jumping off a 300ft cliff to chase a seagull and landing in the sea below.

Poppy the springer spaniel ran over the edge of the clifftop during a walk at a beauty spot in East Sussex.

She plunged into the water but survived and managed to swim to shore where she waited until a RNLI crew arrived.

The three-year-old’s owners – Kelly Ixer, 26, and Ben Markwick, 31, said they were “indebted” to the lifeboat team.

On the day of the accident, the couple – who have a three-week-old son, Henry – had suggested Mr Markwick’s sister Lia and her partner Stephen Winslade, who were staying with them in Ansty, West Sussex, should take Poppy out for some exercise.

Mr Winslade, 31, said: “She ran to the edge and just disappeared.

“She is really well trained and well behaved but I think she ran so fast there was no chance of her stopping.

“I threw myself down and looked over the edge and saw her paddling.

“I could see there was a beach she was heading for.”

Amid the panic, he raised the alarm on his mobile phone while Miss Markwick, 29, called down to Poppy.

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