A search for a person believed to have gone into the water off the coast of Brighton has been stood down.

Emergency services, including volunteers from the RNLI and Sussex Police, were called to the scene near Brighton Palace Pier shortly before 4pm yesterday.

The search for the person carried on for several hours, with teams from Newhaven, Littlehampton and Shoreham helping to try and locate the missing person.

Two search and rescue helicopters from Lee-on-Solent in Hampshire and Lydd in Kent also scoured over the coast to assist with the search.

Lifeboats and the helicopters moved further away from the shore after sunset at around 8pm, scanning the sea around half a mile off the coast.

However, the search was suspended shortly before 10pm - almost six hours after emergency crews were first called to the scene.

The search resumed this morning at 6am but was ended at 8am.

A coastguard spokeswoman said: “Further searches have been conducted from 6am this morning (April 13), in more favourable weather conditions. The search ended around 8am pending any further information.”