Three women who died off Brighton beach have been identified

BREAKING.

Sussex Police say that emergency teams were called on Wednesday at around 5.45am to reports of a person in the water near Black Rock car park in Madeira Drive.

When police arrived they found two more bodies in the water.

A police spokesperson has since said that the women's next of kin have been informed and formal identification is being undertaken.

They said: "It would not be appropriate to publicly name the women before these procedures are completed."

Sussex Police said it was a "sensitive investigation that includes a number of hypotheses.

"It would not be appropriate to speculate as we to continue to gather evidence."

One line of inquiry the police are exploring is that the women may have gone into the sea from the beach before getting into difficulty.

There is no evidence to suggest third-party involvement or criminality.

Anyone who has any information has been urged to contact the police.

Ch Supt Adam Hays from Sussex Police said: "This is an utterly heartbreaking tragedy.

"My thoughts are with the loved ones of these three young women after their devastating loss.

"They will remain at the forefront of our minds as we search for the answers their families, and the wider public, desperately seek."