CROWDS gathered to watch a live demonstration of a search and rescue helicopter in action.

The airborne exercise, staged on in front of The Grand hotel today, attracted attention when passersby initially thought a rescue mission was underway.

But the helicopter seen hovering above the seafront was in fact part of a two-day conference for maritime and aviation professionals.

Organisations like the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, HM Coastguard and search and rescue teams from across the world convened at the Hilton Brighton Metropole in an event which is thought to have brought £500,000 of business to Brighton and Hove.

The conference includes an exhibition, demonstrations, workshops, debates and talks on topics including humanitarian and disaster response, migrant offshore aid stations and the role of non-government organisations in search and rescue operations in offshore oil and gas.

The introduction of SATcase, a satellite phone to help in extreme emergency conditions when time is of the essence was also discussed.

Darren Johnson, VisitBrighton's sales manager, said: “The live exercise is a spectacle in itself and highlights how these skilled professionals save the lives of those in danger both on land and at sea.”