The partially-clothed body of a woman has been recovered by a lifeboat crew from the sea.

A walker spotted what he thought was a body floating head down as he strolled along downland at Beachy Head, near Eastbourne.

He alerted Dover Coastguard who scrambled the Eastbourne Inshore Lifeboat just after 1.30pm on Saturday.

The crew managed to haul the woman's body aboard before taking it back to the lifeboat station in Royal Parade, Eastbourne, where the coroner's officer was alerted.

The discovery was made off the notorious 500ft-high cliffs of Beachy Head.

Just hours before the recovery, at about 10am, the Sussex Police helicopter conducted a sweep of the coastline following reports of a possible suicide but found nothing.