TWO men whose bodies were found in the sea off Hove have been named.

Harry Garrood and Matthew Stoneley were found following a large search off the coast of Hove on Monday and Tuesday.

The operation was launched after an empty dinghy containing a phone and clothes was found drifting off Shoreham on Monday afternoon.

The Argus:

The body of a man was recovered off Hove later that day, with police confirming it was linked to the discovery of the empty dinghy.

But officers, along with Coastguard and lifeboat crews, resumed the search on Tuesday after learning that a second man had also been out in the vessel.

His body was found off Shoreham on Tuesday.

The men have now been named as Harry Garrood, 51, and Matthew Stoneley, 46, both from Brighton.

The Argus:

A Sussex Police spokesman said:  "Police have released the identity of the two men who were sadly found dead in the water after an unoccupied dinghy was found floating in the sea off Shoreham on Monday afternoon.

"A large search and rescue operation was carried out by the coastguard, RNLI and police following the discovery and later that afternoon, the Shoreham RNLI inshore lifeboat located the body of Harry Garrood, 51, from Brighton in the water at Hove.

"During enquiries to confirm the identity of Mr Garrood, it became apparent that his friend was also missing and the search continued at sea on Monday evening and resumed on Tuesday morning.

The Argus:

"At about 8.45am, a body was spotted by the crew of a Coastguard helicopter in the water near Shoreham Beach and was recovered by the Shoreham RNLI all-weather lifeboat.

"He was identified as Matthew Stoneley, 46, also from Brighton.

"The deaths are not being treated as suspicious and have been passed to the coroner."