The body of a woman has been recovered near a notorious suicide spot.

Police, paramedics and the coastguard were called to Beachy Head in Eastbourne at about 1pm today after the woman, who is believed to be aged around 40, jumped from the cliff top.

A spokesman for the Dover coastguard said they had been alerted by a member of the Beachy Head Chaplaincy Team which patrols the area and saw the woman jump.

A helicopter was scrambled to recover the body, which landed about three quarters of the way down the cliff.

A police spokesman said: "At about 1pm we received reports of a woman going over the edge at Beachy Head, just to the right of the lighthouse. The body was recovered at 3.18pm and taken to the coroner's office for formal identification."

Beachy Head has been a notorious suicide spot since the 17th Century. The chaplaincy team has 18 volunteers who patrol day and night and assist dozens of people a month.

Last year seven people committed suicide at Beachy Head, down from 26 in 2005.