Ambulances racing to get to Nick Cave's son as he lay dying at the bottom of the cliff were delayed by up to 20 minutes by a locked gate

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Ambulances racing to the bottom of a cliff where the son of musician Nick Cave lay dying were delayed by up to 20 minutes by a locked gate - forcing paramedics to use onlookers' bicycles to get to the scene.

Arthur Cave, 15, plunged 60ft and was found on a coastal path at the foot of Ovingdean Gap in Brighton, East Sussex, on Tuesday July 14.

It has now been revealed that a locked gate in nearby Rottingdean delayed emergency service vehicles by up to 20 minutes.

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Nick Cave's son, 15-year-old Arthur (left) has died after falling 60ft to his death from a cliff. He is pictured in 2012 (right in right) with his twin brother Earl and father Nick

Arthur Cave plunged 60ft and was found on a coastal path at the foot of Ovingdean Gap in Brighton, East Sussex. It has now been revealed that a locked gate in nearby Rottingdean delayed emergency service vehicles. The family lives in Brighton and Arthur had just finished Year 10 at St Bede's School in Hailsham

At 6pm yesterday emergency services rushed to treat Arthur, who was found on the beach below the chalk cliff with life-threatening injuries.

An air ambulance rushed him to hospital in Brighton after walkers tried to revive him, but he could not be saved. He died at Royal Sussex County Hospital, Brighton.

But now it has been revealed that road ambulances were blocked by a gate and a paramedic ran to a hotel in the hope of finding a key.

According to Josh Boswell and Sanya Burgess at The Sunday Times, a member of staff at the hotel had been contacting the local ambulance service for 18 months to say they did not have a key. The worker was worried about possible delays to emergency services.

After paramedics unsuccessfully tried to break the lock with bolt cutters, two paramedics cycled to the scene with their equipment, the paper has reported.

The ambulances waited behind the blocked gate for up to 20 minutes until a lifeguard arrived with a key, the member of hotel staff has claimed, and the vehicles were then able to join medics.

Tragedy: The 15-year-old fell 60ft from these cliffs in Brighton, East Sussex, and is believed to have been found on an underpass

Flowers left at the scene where Arthur fell, included one bouquet with a heartbreaking note from his twin brother Earl. It said: 'Arthur - I love you so much. You were a joy to be around and I will never forget you'

A spokesman for South East Coast Ambulance Service told MailOnline: 'While there may have been a small delay with vehicles themselves getting to the patient, the critical care paramedic crew made their own way to the boy to treat him.

'They would have delivered the highest standard of care at the scene and on the way to the hospital.'

Brighton & Hove City Council told The Sunday Times that it understood there was a 'minimal delay' due to the locked gate.

'We have taken steps to improve gate access for emergency services, including installing combination code key boxes,' the spokesman added.

Earlier this week, Arthur's family visited the cliff where loved ones had left dozens of bouquets of flowers.

His twin brother, Earl, left a heartbreaking note saying Arthur was a 'joy to be around', adding: 'You were the best brother I could ever ask for'. 

The note read: 'Arthur - I love you so much. You were a joy to be around. I will never forget you.' 

In mourning: Australian singer Nick Cave visited the cliff where the teenager plunged to his death on Tuesday

Nick Cave's wife - Arthur's mother - Susie Bick, and Arthur's twin brother Earl, also went to the scene

Mr Cave, 57, and Susie, who live with their family in Brighton, released a statement, paying tribute to their 'beautiful, happy and loving boy'.

The statement said: 'Our son Arthur died on Tuesday evening. He was our beautiful, happy loving boy.

'We ask that we be given the privacy our family needs to grieve at this difficult time.' 

It is not yet known how the teenager died, but police sources said Arthur, described by his father as a keen drummer, may have died following a tragic accident not a suicide.

Arthur had taken a selfie photograph just yards away from the cliff. The image, which was uploaded to his snapchat account, showed the teenager some ninety minutes before he fell.

In the photo, he looks relaxed and happy and is wearing a hat. The Ovingdean windmill can also be seen in the background.  

Tributes: Bouquets of flowers waere left at the spot where the 15-year-old fell from the 60ft cliff on Tuesday

Friends of Arthur Cave gathered at the cliffs to lay floral tributes at the scene of the tragedy earlier this week

Arthur's best friend Ed Bucknall was among a group who laid flowers at the top of the cliff. He said the 15-year-old was a keen skateboarder who was 'genuinely lovely and funny'.  

He said: 'He was my best friend. I saw him every day and I can't believe what's happened. I was with him in the morning, he was round mine. 

'He was one of the nicest guys you could meet, he was so funny and just so much fun. He never said a bad word about anyone.

'He loved skating, we always used to skate together. And now we can't. I'm devastated, I can't even explain it - I'm just broken. I've been distraught ever since I heard. I was with his brother Earl when I heard and I went and saw their dad.  

'I'm not sure what Arthur was doing at the time, I have no idea how he would have fallen. He was just such a nice guy, you couldn't have asked for a nicer mate.'

Ed also said that he and Arthur had just finished Year 10 at the private St Bede's School in Hailsham, East Sussex.

Until October last year, Arthur was a student at Lancing College, an independent boarding and day school for boys and girls aged 13 to 18 in Brighton.