Dramatic footage shows officers using their belts to rescue a man from a 50ft cliff over a quarry.

The quick-thinking police turned the belts into an improvised hoist to haul the man up, shouting “Hold on! Hold on”.

One of the constables had to lean over the sheer cliff in order to lower the line to the man.

The incident was caught on police bodycam and released by Kent Police on Thursday.

Chief Inspector Neil Loudon, Kent Police’s district commander for north Kent, said: “The outstanding work of these officers doubtlessly saved the life of a vulnerable man who was in serious danger.

“In what was a distressing situation, they remained calm and used their initiative to quickly stop an unpredictable incident turning into a tragic one.

“I am exceptionally proud of their work, they are a credit to Kent Police and the communities they serve.”

The incident unfolded at a quarry off Pier Road in Northfleet at about 6pm on Saturday March 21.

The constables, from the North Kent local policing team, found a man hanging on to the side of a cliff with an estimated drop of 50ft.

Three of the officers climbed to the top and assured him he would be brought to safety.

They can be heard shouting “We’re doing everything we can, mate. Hold on! Hold on! You can do this, mate, come on, we can help.”

They then removed their belts and linked them together before one of the constables leaned over the cliff to lower it to the man while his colleagues anchored him.

The fourth officer stood at the bottom of the cliff, ready to provide immediate first aid should the man fall.

The improvised hoist was enough to hold on to the man but was not sufficient to pull him to safety.

At this point, one of the attending officers ran to a nearby address and was able to obtain a piece of rope from a resident which was then used to pull the man to safety.

As he is hauled over the edge, the officers tell him: “Well done, you’re safe, mate.”

The man was subsequently handed into the care of medical professionals.

The rescue took around five minutes to complete and Kent Fire and Rescue Service, who were called, provided a prompt response and arrived at the same moment the man had been brought to safety.