A man's body has been found in a field by a railway crossing near Lewes.

Police were called to the scene at Beddingham yesterday afternoon.

Detectives have ruled out crime but are baffled as to how the man came to be there and who he was.

A force spokesman said: "His death was not connected to the railway line and there was no sign of a car nearby. There was nothing on him to suggest who he was.

"The death is not being treated as suspicious but we need to contact next of kin and to discover what happened to him."

The man was between 40 and 60. He was slim with size six or seven feet. He had short hair, greying on the temples.

He was wearing black trousers, a blue shirt and black lace-up brogues. He had a watch on his left wrist and a ring on one of his fingers.

A post-mortem examination is expected to be carried out later this week.

Anyone with information should contact coroner's officers on 01323 414007 or 414067.