A 57-year-old man found dead in Bexhill had been beaten to death, police revealed today.

The man, named as Peter Bick, was discovered late on Tuesday night after Christopher Hunnisett, 27, walked into Hastings Police Station.

Sussex Police, who are searching a beach at Bexhill today and are still trying to find the murder weapon, believe he died in the early hours of Tuesday after a "violent attack" at his flat in Dorset Road South.

Mr Hunnisett - who was cleared four months ago of killing a vicar in 2001 - was arrested on suspicion of murder.

Eastbourne magistrates have granted police an extra 36 hours to question him.

Detective Chief Inspector Nick Sloan, who is leading the investigation, said: "Our thoughts are with Peter's family and police family liaison officers are supporting them at this extremely difficult time.

"It is now clear to us that Peter died following several blows to the head in what was clearly a violent attack in his own home.

"We believe this may have happened during the early hours of Tuesday, 11 January, and we are looking for a weapon which may have caused these injuries."

A post-mortem examination showed Mr Bick had died of severe head trauma.

His body has not yet been formally identified.

Police said he had been working at Asda in St Leonards since September.

DCI Sloan said staff there described him as a "friendly man who always had a smile on his face".

He was last seen when he finished his shift there at 4pm on Monday. He was due to have a day off on Tuesday.

Detectives want to speak to anyone who had contact with Mr Bick in the days or hours before his death.

DCI Sloan said he believed Mr Bick and Mr Hunnisett were known to each other.

He said: "Officers are carrying out house-to-house enquiries and a search is continuing at his home.

"We have also extended this search to the beach at Bexhill where we understand property was discarded on Tuesday.

"In particular we are looking for a black Nokia mobile phone, a sim card, memory cards, a black woolly hat with grey badge and black ski gloves with woolly palms.

"Trained search team officers are on the beach today searching for these items. If anyone has found any items matching these descriptions I would urge them to contact the police."

In 2002, Mr Hunnisett was convicted of killing 81-year-old Reverend Ronald Glazebrook in St Leonards.

His body was cut up and the parts later found scattered around East Sussex.

Mr Hunnisett served eight years in prison before he was granted a retrial and acquitted of murder and manslaughter in September last year.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Sussex Police on 0845 6070999 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111, quoting Operation Binton.