An army of coastguards battled for more than 90 minutes in cloying mud to rescue two tiny dogs that fell down a cliff this morning.

Teams were called from Happisburgh and Mundesley, then back-up from Cromer and Sheringham, after the dogs slipped 12 feet down onto a ledge close to Staden Park at Trimingham at 9.30am.

The Lhasa Apso called Teddy and a cocker spaniel called Milo disappeared over the cliff after chasing each other around when their owners met each other during a Christmas morning stroll.

Milo's owner Alan Jones, from Trimingham, said: 'I was walking along the cliffs with Milo. I don't usually have him on a lead - he's alright without it.

'I bumped into somebody I know called John, who had his dog with him. We were exchanging pleasantries and the dogs were chasing each other about. Then they suddenly disappeared over the cliff.'

Mr Jones did not have his mobile phone with him, so dashed home to contact the coastguards.

He said: 'I'd like to say a million thanks to the coastguards for rescuing the dogs. It was so embarrassing having to call them out. More and more of them kept turning up, and eventually there were 19.'

Teddy was rescued first, followed shortly afterwards by Milo.

Mr Jones said: 'When I saw his little head coming up in the bag, I was so relieved. John and I said we will make sure that next time we meet on the cliffs, we'll put the dogs on their leads.'

He said Milo's tail was wagging, but that he had been shaken up by the experience, and had tried to scramble up the cliff to get back to his owner.

He added that he would be late for Christmas lunch with his daughter because he needed to give both himself and his dog a 'good wash down'.

Nathan Jonas from Cromer coastguard said it was an 'unusual' call-out, and added that he was looking forward to getting cleaned up and home for Christmas lunch.