An 82-year-old man has died after collapsing at a special event at Durdle Door on Thursday night. 

More than 3,000 people packed in and around the Purbeck beauty spot to see the illumination of one of the Jurassic Coast's most iconic landmarks.

At the end of the one and a half hour display, the man, who was visiting the area from Surrey, fell to the ground and given CPR by paramedics and off-duty medical staff who were at the scene. 

It is understood a road ambulance could not get to the scene as the roads in the area were still heavily congested. A coastguard helicopter was dispatched to Durdle Door and an area was cleared to allow the helicopter to land. The man was then airlifted to Dorset County Hospital, Dorchester.

He was pronounced dead at 9pm, shortly after arrival at hospital. 

A South Western Ambulance spokesperson said: "We got the call at 7.40pm to reports that someone had collapsed and wasn't breathing.

"We had a community responder on the scene, a rapid response vehicle, an officer and a crew.

"CPR was carried out at the scene by paramedics, with the assistance of the community responder."

Thousands of people had gathered to watch Durdle Door illuminate as part of a nationwide art project. 

They gathered on the cliff-top and on the beach to watch as the iconic arch played host to the display.

It was part of an ambitious plan to simultaneously light up UNESCO World Heritage sites across the UK and Ireland – an idea developed by the Society of Light and the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers.

Bournemouth-based designers from Michael Grubb Studio used a man rowing in a boat under the Jurassic Coast landmark, accompanied with the use of various tricks, in a bid to create a scene reminiscent of impressionist art.