The battle for the perfect selfie is heating up.

And as "volcanophiles" push ever-closer to the edge of erupting summits, a new report from the Royal Geographical Society has warned of the dangers associated with taking "volcano selfies".

Hundreds of pictures posted to social media show people sipping glasses of champagne or taking a dip in a swimming pool as a volcano erupts behind them.

In the most extreme examples, daredevils wear heatsuits to dangle precariously over bubbling lava.

While tour companies are charging hundreds of pounds to helicopter holidaymakers to the tops of active volcanoes, the report warns that emergency services are increasingly being called in when things go wrong.

Dr Amy Donovan, the report's author, said she was interested in finding out what draws these thrill seekers to risk their lives - and was surprised to learn that the answer is often the pursuit of the perfect holiday picture.

"People reported being very keen to get close and experience the eruptions - to feel the heat and the gas and to hear the noises.

"But there's also a drive to get that photo that no one else has got - and to represent yourself as a person who's doing interesting things and having exciting times," she said.