Fossils are the remains of plants and animals that were trapped in the rock millions of years ago.

This video (credit: Shannon Ribbons Osis Design Ltd) shows an ichthyosaur, a dolphin-like reptile, swimming in the Jurassic sea nearly 200 million years ago.

When it died, the body sank to the sea floor. The soft parts rotted away leaving the bones to become buried by layer after layer of mud settling from the sea water.

Over millions of years the bones were squashed flat and then turned to stone.

Next, faults or cracks deep within the Earth moved, creating earthquakes that slowly lifted up the rocks to form land.

The sea then started to erode the rocks, forming the beautiful coast that we see today.

Eventually, any fossilised bones within the cliffs, will fall on to the beach below.

This is the time to find them as the sea will wash the fossils out to sea if they are not collected.

Remember, the best fossils are found on the beaches and NOT in the cliffs.

The cliffs are still eroding today and that means rock falls can happen at any time........when on the beach, please keep clear of the cliffs at all times.