Women who died in sea off Brighton beach identified

Police say they believe they have identified the three women who died in the sea off Brighton beach following "extensive" inquiries. Sussex Police said emergency teams were first called on Wednesday at about 05:45 BST to a report of a single person in the water near Black Rock car park in Madeira Drive, which runs along the beachfront. On arrival, two more bodies were recovered from the sea nearby. Brighton & Hove City Council leader Bella Sankey said it was "the most devastating news" the city had received "for a very long time". "I can't think of anything more tragic or more horrendous really," she told BBC Radio Sussex. "This is the last thing that anyone wants or expects to happen." A police spokesperson said the women's next of kin had been informed and formal identification was now being undertaken. "It would not be appropriate to publicly name the women before these procedures are completed," they added. It is not yet known how the women came to be in the water, but the coastguard ended its search and said it was not looking for anyone else. Ch Supt Adam Hays, from Sussex Police, said it was a "sensitive investigation that includes a number of hypotheses". "It would not be a