A SEARCH to find a man missing at sea after going for a swim has been suspended.

Emergency services, including the coastguard, were looking for the man in his sixties, who was reported missing after entering the sea off the beach at Tide Mills, Seaford yesterday afternoon (August 31).

Lifeboats resumed efforts to find the man, whose clothing was left on the beach, but was called off after a few hours.

A Maritime and Coastguard Agency spokesperson said: "At just before 2.30pm on Tuesday, HM Coastguard received a report of a missing swimmer at Seaford, East Sussex.

"Searches were carried out throughout yesterday and today (1 September), with RNLI lifeboats from Newhaven and Eastbourne, Coastguard Rescue Teams from Newhaven and Shoreham and the HM Coastguard fixed-wing aircraft from Doncaster assisting.

"Maritime searches have been suspended, pending further information."

Pictures taken from the scene show services scanning the coastline in search of the missing swimmer yesterday evening. The disappearance is not being treated as suspicious.

An earlier statement from Sussex Police said: "At 2.10pm on Tuesday 31 August police received a report that about 40 minutes earlier a man had been seen to enter the sea off the beach at Tide Mills, Mill Lane, Seaford, and had not been seen since.

"His clothing had been left on the beach and he entered the sea wearing swimming shorts.

"A search by emergency services including Coastguard and RNLI took place into Tuesday evening and resumed on Wednesday morning, but he has not yet been found."

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