A man was found dead last night near the boating lake in Littlehampton.

A passer-by discovered the body of the man, in his 30s or 40s, on a footpath in Windmill Road shortly before 9pm.

Police said the death is not being treated as suspicious. It is believed he may have collapsed.

It is unclear how long he had lain undiscovered and whether the cold weather was a factor in his death.

The man's identity has not been released. Police are trying to trace his next of kin.

A greyhound believed to have belonged to the man was found nearby.

A spokesman for Sussex Police said: "There were no apparent external injuries.

"The cause of death is not yet known but police are not treating the death as suspicious pending a post mortem which has yet to be arranged."