A sea-swimmer has sounded the alarm after spotting reckless daredevils taking perilous selfies on a crumbling cliff edge.

Thrill-seeking fashionistas have been spotted perched on eroding chalk sea stacks at Botany Bay Beach, Broadstairs, which have suffered significant erosion.

Dawn Kandekore, who swims near the stack almost every day, says she often sees people wearing “fashion clothing” climbing on the rock.

“When people visit, it’s a place where they like to take photos, ” said the Broadstairs resident.

“It’s an Instagram hotspot and there’s always people filming there in fashion clothes, I see them doing it all the time.”

The two chalk stacks were originally joined to the mainland, however, over millennia the sea has eroded the two outcrops, stranding them a few yards from the main cliffs.

Unlike much of the Thanet coastline around the corner of King’s Gate, where Botany Bay is located, there are no sea wall defences which means the chalk cliffs erode at a faster rate than elsewhere.

But Ms Kandekore is convinced that with all the extra attention the sea stack is getting from Instagrammers, erosion is accelerating and is calling for Thanet District Council to put up signage warning the public of the hazard.

She says in the last week a slit has emerged in the stack and that since then, the gap appears to be getting bigger.

“It looks like a portion of it could fall off,” continued Ms Kandekore, 61.

“And if people keep climbing on it, it will collapse - it’s just chalk and them climbing on it will just accelerate the erosion.

“I worry that if people carry on climbing on it while it deteriorates, someone could be hurt – if it were to fall when someone is on it, it could kill them.

“The council should go there and put up a sign, and people should stop climbing on it and let nature take its time.”

Expert geologist Dr Richard Hubbard, of Broadstairs, explained how the combination of heavy rain and low temperatures in recent months have been harsh on the natural chalk cliffs.

“When you get a cold snap after a lot of rain then all that water that’s saturated into the cliff expands into ice which causes the chalk to start collapsing and we’ve had quite a bit of that this winter,” explained the former chief geologist for BP.

“And one of the spots that’s particularly had that is Botony Bay – the stack has opened up two rectangular windows that you can see through and that’s going to bring even more people to look at it.

“Erosion is a totally natural process. The stack will continue erode and get skinnier and skinnier and, we’re not there yet, but in the next 20 to 30 years it will probably be completely gone.”

A spokesperson for Thanet District Council said: “Signs are already in place at each of the district’s beaches, warning members of the public to keep away from the edge and base of cliffs at all times.

“It is dangerous to stand under any cliff face as they are subject to erosion, particularly in the winter months.

“This week, we will install additional signs at Botany Bay, to raise more awareness of the hazards and the process that is causing the cliffs to erode.”