Rescuers who arrived at the scene said some of the teenagers were conscious and were able to speak to them.

The damaged car is winched back up the cliff

All five victims, three boys and two girls, were airlifted to Eastbourne District General Hospital with multiple injuries.

Inspector Bruce Mathews, of Sussex Police, said it appeared the driver attempted to turn the car around after he stopped before reaching the clifftop at the end of the public lane.

"There appears to have been a manoeuvre on the top of the cliff. We cannot tell if the driver was trying to reverse or move forward but whatever he did appears to have gone tragically wrong," he said.