A woman found dead underneath Brighton's Palace Pier had faced manslaughter charges after her baby died. The child had been fed a fruit-only diet.

Hasmik Manuelyan, 47, was found floating in the sea on Wednesday and was later identified by her husband Garabet.

Sussex Police revealed last night the couple had appeared at the Old Bailey two years ago.

They had denied killing their daughter, Areni, but pleaded guilty to child cruelty.

The manslaughter charge against them was ordered to lie on file.

A major search-and-rescue operation was launched on Wednesday after initial reports suggested Mrs Manuelyan, from Staines, Surrey, had been seen with a child in the hours before her body was spotted in the water beneath Horatio's Bar at 5.35pm.

By 8pm, police were fairly certain there was no one else in the water.

Mr and Mrs Manuelyan, who had two other children, were vegans but became convinced in 1996 a fruitarian diet consisting of raw fruit, fruit juices and nuts was the healthiest option for their family.

The couple, originally from Armenia, ignored repeated warnings by health professionals that their children were not getting vital nutrients.

Areni died from a chest infection caused by malnutrition in July 2000.

Sentencing the couple in September 2001, Judge David Paget said Areni's death had resulted from the couple's "extreme and misguided belief".

Mrs Manuelyan's death is not being treated as suspicious and a post-mortem examination is due to take place today.