THE search has been called off for a man who went missing off the Cornish coast.

A massive rescue operation was launched on Friday evening after two men got into difficulties on cliffs in North Cornwall.

One person was rescued by emergency services halfway down the cliff face at Hawker's Hut at Morwenstow, north of Bude. He was winched to safety by the helicopter crew from RNAS Culdrose.

The search, which included Bude lifeboat crews, the Bude Coastguard team and officers from Devon and Cornwall police, continued for the second man on Friday night and Saturday before it was abandoned yesterday afternoon.

The name of the missing man, who is in his early 20s, is not known at this time.

The circumstances surrounding the rescue operation are still unclear.

Speaking on Firday, a spokesman for Bude Lifeboat Station said: "We found clothes belonging to the second casualty at Hawker's Hut. I don't think the two people were swimming – it's more likely that they were climbing down the cliff to see the rock pools and then got into trouble.

"We have a big spring tide at the moment which is very powerful – we are just hoping that he's not in the water."

For more see Monday's Western Morning News.