A woman whose body was discovered drifting beneath Palace Pier in Brighton has been named.

Police today said the woman was 47-year-old Hasmik Manuelyan from Staines after her husband came forward to identify her last night.

A major search and rescue operation was launched after initial reports suggested she had been seen with a child in the hours before her body was spotted in the sea beneath Horatio's Bar.

Coastguards and lifeboat crews carried out a search after the alarm was raised by bar supervisor Richard Cragg at 5.35pm.

The search was scaled down by 8pm when no trace of the child could be found.

Lifeguards paddled to the scene in kayaks and Mr Cragg helped them to lift the woman on to the decking.

Coastguard Mick Hunter said: "We found a woman's body underneath Horatio's Bar.

"We mounted a search because initial reports were that she had a child with her."

Inspector Steve Curry said: "After a report from a member of the public to a security officer, a body was recovered by the lifeguards.

"Another security guard overheard a snippet of a conversation that there was the possibility the woman had had a child with her.

"As a result, an extensive search took place but by 8pm we were fairly certain there was no one else in the water."

It is not yet known whether Ms Manuelyan died after falling from the pier or her body had drifted underneath the pier from somewhere else.

A post-mortem examination was due to be carried out tomorrow.

Police have appealed for anyone with information to contact them on 0845 6070999.