The search for two men missing at sea off the coast of Brighton has turned into a recovery mission, with "no chance of finding them alive", the Maritime and Coastguard Agency said today.

The victims were among four men who had gone into the water in the early hours of today, the coastguard said.

Two men managed to get back to shore and called the coastguard just after 1am telling them that two of their companions were missing.

The missing men are believed to be a 23 and 24-year-old from Brighton.

The search for the men, who were believed to have been on a night-out in the town before entering the choppy water, has since been stood down.

An man discovered in the sea this morning on Brighton beach is not being linked to the missing men.

Volunteer lifeboat crews are expected to resume searches in waters close to the shoreline, although the helicopter crews have returned to base having "exhausted all possible options", the coastguard said.

A spokesman said: "The conditions for searching overnight were awful - it was pitch black and the sea was extremely choppy. It was very difficult to search.

"The helicopter and the all-weather lifeboats searched the area overnight but started to stand down at about 4.30am. They felt they had done all they could.

"Very sadly, nothing has been found and it is very unlikely that anything will be.

"This has turned into a recovery mission. Very sadly there is no chance of finding them alive.

"The coastguard remains on site but the searches will mostly be in and around the shoreline."

Sussex Police said the men, in their 20s, had gone into the water near the Palace pier.

Emergency services were called earlier in the night when an 18-year-old man was seen entering the sea in Brighton shortly before 9am.

The man, who had taken his top and shoes off before running into the water just to the east of the Palace Pier, was helped from the sea by one of three friends who was with him.

He was checked over on the beach by police and medical staff. He was taken to the Royal Sussex County Hospital by ambulance.