Rip currents were not believed to have been responsible for causing the deaths of five men who drowned during a day-trip to a south coast beach, an inquest heard.

Oceanographer Dr Simon Boxall said there was insufficient wave activity for rip currents to build up at Camber Sands, near Rye, on the day of the deaths on August 24 last year.

Instead, Dr Boxall believed the five men, all from the London area and of Sri Lankan origin, got into trouble after heading out to a sandbar to play a significant distance out at sea, and then got caught out.

Amid a fast incoming tide, it appeared the men got into trouble and may have panicked trying to help someone else as they tried to get back to shore.

Dr Boxall, a senior lecturer at the University of Southampton, said there would have been strong currents which would have had a significant impact even on a strong swimmer.

He told the inquest in Hastings: "The circumstances that I believe happened involved the five young men trying to find somewhere quiet to play with a ball, to get away from the crowds and head out to a sandbar that would appear safe.

"And as the tide comes in they want to head back into shore."

He added: "They were some distance away and no-one at the shore-side would be able to see they were in distress."

At that time of day, there would have been glare or reflection for people looking out to sea, he went on.

Dr Boxall said he doubted whether having lifeguards manning the beach at the time would have prevented the deaths. And he said the sea was at its most dangerous when it appeared benign.

Tragedy struck as Mohit Dupar, 36, tried to reach Brazilian Gustavo Silva Da Cruz, 19, as he got into difficulty at Camber Sands, near Rye, East Sussex, last July 24 - but both died.

Then a month later, five young friends, aged 18 to 27, who lived in the London area and were of Sri Lankan origin, drowned at the same beach after being seen playing volleyball in the sea on August 24 last year.

Nine deaths have occurred at Camber in the four years from 2012 - including the seven last summer.

Lifeguards were not deployed until after the five deaths last August, despite recommendations from the RNLI to do so three years earlier.

Dr Anthony Leonard, executive director at Rother District Council, said the authority's decision in 2013 was balanced against other factors known at the time and that, with statutory obligations to fund, it did not have a "bottomless pit" of money.

A five-day inquest heard the five men were all fit, healthy and competent swimmers when they died on a sunny day last August - but beneath the surface at Camber Sands lurked "hidden dangers".

The five friends who died last August 24 were Kenugen Saththiyanathan, 18, known as Ken, and his brother Kobikanthan Saththiyanathan, 22, known as Kobi, both of Normandy Way, Erith, south-east London, and their friends Nitharsan Ravi, 22, of Admaston Road, Plumstead, south-east London, Inthushan Sriskantharasa, 23, of Chadwell Road, Grays, Essex, and Gurushanth Srithavarajah, 27, of Elsa Road, Welling, south-east London.

East Sussex senior coroner Alan Craze is also due to record conclusions into all seven deaths on Friday afternoon.