The Sussex Police helicopter was scrambled to assist officers in the hunt for a burglar who hit a woman over the head.

Police were called after a woman in her 40s reported that someone had attempted to enter her house and hit her over the head with an unknown object.

Police refused to reveal her address because it could lead to her identity being known, but the incident happened at a property in the city centre at 10.30pm on Thursday.

When detectives arrived they could not find the woman, but she later rang police from her mobile and was spotted on the seafront at Brighton Marina after apparently wandering off in a temporarily confused state.

She was taken to the Royal Sussex County Hospital, but had suffered no visible injury and was discharged.

Nothing had been stolen from the property.