Lifeboat volunteers in South Tyneside say teenagers who take part in a cliff jumping craze are putting their lives at risk. The practice of 'tomb stoning' involves walking out to unsafe clifftop areas and plunging into the sea.
On Friday, an RAF helicopter was called out to rescue three teenagers stranded on rocks at Sandhaven.
Tom Fennelly, secretary of South Shields Volunteer Life Brigade condemned the cliff jumping craze.
He said: "A certain group of young people get some kind of thrill from going down to these areas of the cliffs and simply jump off into the water.
"It is an extremely foolish and dangerous practice."