Coasteering has led to one death this year in Wales

The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) says its resources are being stretched by dealing with coasteering accidents, including a death in Wales.

Its call has been supported by North Cornwall MP Dan Rogerson.

Coasteering is similar to tombstoning, jumping into the sea off cliffs, which has led to several deaths in England.

Safety advice

Steve Wills, the Head of Beach Safety at the RNLI, said: "Tombstoning itself it would be impossible to regulate because it's an activity where you could go anywhere in the UK and jump off.

"I don't really see any feasible way of stopping people doing that.

Tomb stoning, jumping off high cliffs, is a relative of coasteering

"But coasteering, which is the sort of industry which is growing up where people go on organised trips.

"We certainly want to see some sort of regulations and some safety procedures put in place for that industry, just to help themselves self govern and also help them self police and make sure they've got the right standards."

David Evan Bellew, 24, who lived in Cardiff but was originally from Somerset, died in February while coasteering off the Gower Peninsula in Wales.

It is understood Mr Bellew became separated from the three others in the group and could have been thrown against rocks by the rough sea.

Dan Rogerson, the Liberal Democrat MP for North Cornwall, said: "There's fairly tight regulation of anyone who's taking out groups of young people.

"But when you're dealing with people over 18 - as I understand it at the moment - there isn't any sort of great regulation and that perhaps is an issue that we need to look at."

Increasing interest in coasteering has led to the creation of the International Coasteering Association and a number of organisations offering coasteering, including Cornwall-based EBO (Explore Believe Overcome).

No-one was available for comment, but EBO says on its website that any instructors should be qualified beach lifeguards and the school should hold valid insurance.

A good school would always give students a safety brief prior to entering the water and provide you with a helmet, buoyancy aid and wetsuit.

Instructors should have rescue tubes, throw lines or other rescue equipment in case people get into difficulty.