An elderly man died after falling from a cliff edge into Brighton Marina.

It is unclear whether the man, believed to be in his 80s, committed suicide or fell from the cliffs at Marine Drive, Brighton.

Sussex Police and crews from South East Coast Ambulance Service were called to Undercliff Walk, opposite the Asda store at 11.30am yesterday. Paramedics attempted to resuscitate the man, whose identity has not yet been confirmed, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.

David Manson, 47, of Horseye Road, Eastbourne, who was working nearby said: “I didn’t see him fall but I saw the police and ambulances there and there were other folk trying to revive him. They tried to revive him for 30 or 40 minutes but I don’t know how he fell.”

A spokeswoman for Sussex Police said that they were still trying to formally identify the man and they will release his identity once his next of kin have been contacted. She added: “There will be an ongoing enquiry and a coroner’s inquest in due course.”

The death occurred just two days after police negotiators had to talk down another man from the same area of cliff on Saturday. Many locals believe that the cliff-top area by the marina, which is lined by a small fence and is accessible from the road, is becoming an increasingly popular suicide spot.

A sales assistant who works in Marina Village but did not want to be named, said: “It’s worse than Beachy Head round here at the moment. We had another one on Saturday that I heard about from security.

“I think these people just want to be seen. It’s a cry for help, really.”