Dangerous stunt took place in Polignano a Mare.

Police in Italy are seeking to catch up with a tourist who made a 32-metre jump off a cliff into the sea in Polignano a Mare, a popular seaside resort in the southern Puglia region.

The illegal stunt took place on Saturday, in front of shocked onlookers, after the man climbed onto the roof of a private residence before making the hazardous plunge into the water 32 metres below.

Footage of the jump by the man went viral on social media. The man's identity remains unknown however he is being referred to as a tourist by Italian media.

The incident, which was reported to police by the owner of the property, occurred a couple of weeks after professional divers took part in the Red Bull Cliff Diving tournament in the same place.

Earlier this year the mayor of Venice said that a tourist who jumped into a canal off the roof of a three-story building should be given a “certificate of stupidity”.