Walton-on-the-Naze: Swimmer reported missing was false alarm

The search took place at Walton-on-the-Naze in Essex, to the north of Walton Pier

The coastguard said reports of a swimmer missing at an Essex seaside resort were a false alarm.

Search and rescue teams were looking for someone in the sea off Eastcliff beach in Walton-on-the-Naze on Tuesday.

People were asked to get out of the water while the search took place.

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency said it carried out a "thorough and extensive search and nothing untoward was found". It said it believed no-one was still missing.

It added: "We would rather people ring us on 999 so that we can check and whoever called this in did exactly the right thing.

"Thankfully, this one turned out to be nothing other than a false alarm, but we're still grateful it was called in."

Ann McCathie, 65, who lives in the town and was on the beach with her four grandchildren, said a helicopter, lifeboats, a beach patrol team and coastguards were all involved with the search.

A team from HM Coastguard co-ordinated the search

In July, a body was found several days after 21-year-old Sujal Sahu, from Cambridge, went missing near Clacton Pier.

A post-mortem examination discovered he had drowned.

The incident happened at Eastcliff beach in Walton-on-the-Naze

A helicopter was involved in the search along the Essex coast

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