Police are still working to identify three young women pulled from sea ‘fully clothed’ in Brighton

Police are continuing their efforts to identify three women found dead at sea in Brighton.

Officers were called at around 5.45am today due to ‘concerns for the welfare of a person in the water’.

Three bodies were later found in the sea near Madeira Drive. Police said they were not looking for anyone else.

In a statement this evening, Sussex Police said it was ‘working hard to identify the three women and follow up on a number of inquiries to understand exactly what happened’.

Chief Inspector Adam Hays said: ‘I understand the impact this tragic incident has had on the local community and wider.

‘This is a sensitive investigation and we know the public is keen to understand all the circumstances. However, our priority right now is to identify these three women and locate their families, who are unaware that they have lost their loved ones.

‘I would ask people to be patient while we carry out these investigations and avoid speculation while this continues.’

It is understood that two bodies were recovered this afternoon, a woman lying on the gravel covered with an orange body bag and two police officers standing there.

Police vehicles in the Black Rock car park on Madeira Drive earlier today

Officers are currently on guard duty alongside the cordon on a section of the beach close to Brighton Marina. There are several patrol cars and a police van in a nearby parking lot.

While the police continued the investigation, which included reviewing footage from security cameras at homes and workplaces, people were urged to stay away from the scene.

More than a dozen police officers, police vans and cars were at the scene this morning, as well as HM Coastguard Search and Rescue officers and equipment.

Police are still unsure how the women fell overboard or what they were doing that evening.

Locals said Brighton Beach was especially packed with revelers spilling onto the beach on Tuesday night.

A Coastguard source said the women were in their late teens or early twenties and were ‘fully clothed’ when they were pulled from the water.

It is understood they were first spotted at Brighton Palace Pier before drifting towards the marina.

Residents explained that Quarters, a club on the waterfront, holds a weekly student event called CU Next Tuesday that ends at 4 a.m.

Last night’s event, billed as David Attenborough’s 100th birthday party, was said to be ‘packed’ with many students spilling onto the beach.

Chief Inspector Hays held a short press conference at the scene during lunch and told reporters that the priority was to identify the three women and contact their relatives.

‘I know this incident will be extremely distressing for the community and you are working hard with our partners to understand exactly what happened,’ he said.

‘This includes collecting, monitoring CCTV of the surrounding area, including properties and nearby local businesses.

‘Our Coastguard partners have completed an extensive search of the water and we are not searching for anyone else at this stage.’

An HM Coastguard helicopter was seen hovering over the water early this morning, as well as Coastguard Rescue Teams from Shoreham, Newhaven, Littlehampton and Birling Gap.

RNLI crews from Brighton Lifeboat and Shoreham All-weather also joined the search

An HM Coastguard helicopter was seen hovering over the water early this morning.

Three RNLI Brighton Lifeboat and Shoreham All-weather crews also joined the search after it was launched at around 6am.

Lifeboats have since been discontinued.

Bella Sankey, leader of Brighton and Hove Council, said she was ‘shocked and deeply saddened’ to hear of the deaths of three women.

‘My heart goes out to the friends and families of these women and I send my sincerest condolences on behalf of Brighton & Hove,’ he said.

Chris Ward, Labor MP for Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven, said it was ‘extremely tragic news and understandably worrying for our community and everyone affected’.

“I would like to thank our emergency services for their rapid response and the difficult work they continue to do at the scene,” he said.