A grieving father has paid tribute to his son who was found dead along with his mother on the cliffs at Beachy Head.
Cheryl Tompsett, 42, and her son Leo who were from Maidstone in Kent, were found by emergency crews early yesterday morning.
Leo’s body was found on a ledge half way down the cliff near Eastbourne, East Sussex while his mother, who worked as a wellbeing and bereavement counsellor, was found on the beach.
The youngster’s grief-stricken father today paid an emotional tribute to his beloved son, saying his ‘shining light and brightest star has had his life cut short.’
Police said there was nothing to suggest Leo was disabled, despite earlier reports.
The body of Leo, five, was found on ledge halfway down the cliff near Eastbourne, East Sussex
Emergency services were called to Beachy Head yesterday after Leo and his mother (pictured) died
Police confirmed they are investigating the incident, but are not looking for anyone else in connection with the deaths.
In a statement, Leo’s father said: ‘With more sadness and hurt than anyone can imagine, our precious Leo who was our shining light, our brightest star has had his life cut short.
‘We all miss him an amount beyond what anyone else can imagine and would request that our privacy is respected at this very difficult time.’
Cheryl Tompsett worked as an emotional wellbeing specialist for Ashford-based charity CXK where she had been for 10 months before her death.
Pauline Smith, chief executive of the charity said today: ‘We are shocked and saddened by the news and we would like to send the family our sympathies.’
Cheryl also specialised in bereavement counselling for both children and adults and worked with the mental health charity, MIND.
According to her LinkedIn profile, she had a ‘passion for working with clients both young and old on the Autistic spectrum’.
Cheryl delivered bereavement workshops for young people and recently set up her own private practice in Maidstone where she accepted referrals.
Detective Inspector Simon Dunn of Sussex Police, said: ‘Our investigation continues in this tragic case, however, at this time, there is nothing to suggest that anyone else was involved in their deaths. Detectives are in the process of piecing together the last moments of their lives.’
Emergency crews pictured at the scene of the tragedy yesterday
A coastguard helicopter at the scene yesterday morning after the bodies were recovered
Lifeboats and a rescue helicopter were scrambled around 6am yesterday after reports of the woman a child going over the cliff-top.
A Vauxhall Corsa, believed to have been found at the scene, is being investigated by police in connection with the deaths.
A lifeboat crew, pictured at the base of the cliff yesterday morning, took part in the recovery
It comes just days after three bodies were recovered from the base of the famous cliffs near Eastbourne.
Emergency services were alerted last Wednesday, and with assistance from the Eastbourne RNLI inshore lifeboat recovered the body of a 58-year-old man from London.
Shortly after 5pm, while this was in progress, a second, badly decomposed body, believed to be that of a woman, was found nearby.
Then some 40 minutes later a third body, believed to be that of another man from London, was discovered some distance away.
Police said those three deaths were not being treated as suspicious and were not linked to one another.
More than 350,000 people visit the cliffs at Birling Gap and Seven Sisters each year.
For confidential support call the Samaritans on 116123 or see www.samaritans.org.