A BODY was found on a bench by the sea.

Police are trying to identify the man, believed to be in his forties, who was found by a passerby near the war memorial at the top of Beachy Head shortly after 7am on Tuesday.

He is described as 6ft 2in tall, stocky, and with brown/greying collar length hair. He was wearing a red Barbour jacket, a brown fleece, black t-shirt, blue patterned scarf blue jeans, brown walking boots. and had a rucksack with him.

Coroners' officer Karen Brown said a post mortem took place yesterday. The results are yet to be published.

She added: "At this time we are not treating the death as suspicious. It appears that the man sat down on the bench, at some point overnight or in the early morning, and then sadly died.

"From the absence of car keys, or bus or train tickets, we think he may be a walker who is local to Eastbourne or elsewhere in Sussex."

Anyone who may know who he is can call police on 101 or email 101@sussex.pnn.police.uk quoting l 241 of 24/6.