A man who walked from a groyne and into the sea had hours earlier been released from hospital.

Friends and relatives of John Donovan, whose body was pulled onto Brighton beach on Saturday, have paid tribute to him.

It is believed Mr Donovan recently had a pacemaker fitted at Royal Sussex County Hospital after he had collapsed following dizzy spells.

One friend said: “He was a friendly man. He had lived here for years. He always said hello.

“Every morning he walked to Asda at the marina - they all knew him there.“He was a character.”

Mr Donovan had lived in Hampshire Court, off Upper St James' Road in Kemp Town, Brighton, for a number of years. He was not married and did not have children.

He had previously lived with his mother before she died.

Best friend Les Barber, also of Hampshire Court, was informed of Mr Donovan's death at midnight on Saturday.

The pair played pool every Monday and Wednesday.

Mr Barber said: “We had a good old laugh together.

“We would put on old rock music from the '50s and have a sing and a laugh - nothing serious.

“We used to play cards together and go to the Labour club.”

He said Mr Donovan had been ill but there was nothing to suggest he would not recover.

Sister-in-law Maureen Donovan said: “We will miss him.”

Two hours before Mr Donovan's body was recovered, the remains of a second man were found close to Brighton Marina although he has not yet been identified.

A Sussex Police spokeswoman said: “We are not treating either death as suspicious. There is no reason to believe the bodies are in any way connected.”