A ten-year-old boy who was airlifted to hospital after falling from a cliff on Hilbre Island is in a critical condition, police have confirmed.

The North West air ambulance was called in at around 1.15pm today.

Emergency vehicles - including those from the highly-trained specialist Hazard Area Response Team (HART) - assembled at Dee Lane in West Kirby.

An ambulance service spokesman said the victim suffered head and pelvic injuries and was taken to Alder Hey Hospital.

The coastguard alerted West Kirby lifeboat crew and the Wirral coastal team.

A coastguard spokesman told the Globe: "We were called by the ambulance crew at about 1.15pm asking to assist in the rescue of a casualty from Hilbre Island.

"We paged West Kirby lifeboat crew and Wirral coastguard team asking them to extract the boy from the scene.

"The lifeboat crew sent some of its volunteers to stabilise the boy until the air ambulance arrived.

"The rescue was carried out quickly and professionally." 

Police are appealing for anyone who was in the vicinity of Hilbre Island between 12.30pm and 1.30pm and may have witnessed the incident or has any information to contact them on 0151 777 2265.