An off-duty police officer who died following a diving expedition in the English Channel off Worthing was named today.

Detective Sergeant John Gilbert, 58, of the Metropolitan Police, was described as a "gentle giant" who would be sorely missed.

Mr Gilbert, from Watford, Hertfordshire, was airlifted unconscious to hospital after getting into difficulties with a fellow diver off Worthing, West Sussex, on Saturday afternoon.

The fellow diver, who has not been named, was released from Worthing Hospital the following morning but Mr Gilbert, who was attached to the child abuse investigation unit, died.

The pair were diving from the Proteus, a boat operated out of Littlehampton for hobby diving by the Metropolitan Police diving club.

In a tribute today, Detective Superintendent Reg Hooke, of the Met's child abuse investigation unit, said: "Standing 6ft and 3in tall, John was known among colleagues as their gentle giant.

"He was a hard-working and highly professional member of Edgware child abuse investigation team. John will be sadly missed by everyone who had the privilege of working alongside him - both within the Metropolitan Police Service and outside it."

Sussex Police confirmed they were not treating the death as suspicious.

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