Young girl killed by falling rocks while playing on North Yorkshire beach

'Her family are currently being supported by specialist trained officers,' say police

Emergency services at Staithes harbour in North Yorkshire after a nine-year-old girl died in a rock fall (PA)

A nine-year-old girl has died after suffering serious head injuries in a rock fall in North Yorkshire.

Emergency workers including the air ambulance service were called to Seaton Garth in Staithes after reports the girl had been hurt by rocks falling from a cliff while she was playing on the beach.

North Yorkshire Police said: “Sadly, despite the efforts of the emergency services, the girl died at the scene from her injuries.

“Her family are currently being supported by specialist trained officers.”

Police, fire, ambulance, air ambulance and coastguard all attended the incident at around 4.45pm on Wednesday.

The coastguard said a section of the cliffs surrounding the harbour had fallen. Witnesses told the BBC the girl and her family had been holidaying in the area, and that the beach had been busy at the time of the collapse.

The RNLI said in a statement: “The RNLI can confirm that volunteer crew members of Staithes and Runswick Lifeboat Station responded to a rock fall at Seaton Garth in Staithes this afternoon.

“The RNLI volunteer lifeboat crew attended to a child who sadly died at the scene.

“The RNLI, and in particular the volunteers of Staithes and Runswick Lifeboat Station, would like to share their deepest condolences with the child’s family.”

Additional reporting by PA