Three women who died after being pulled from the sea off Brighton beach had attended a student club night, according to local businesses.

Police are scouring the pebbles of the beach for clues with the three women remaining unidentified.

Shop owners on the popular seafront say they were told the three young victims had been partying at a student night on the beachfront.

Billed as David Attenborough’s 100th birthday celebration, Tuesday’s event was said to be ‘packed out’, with crowds of students spilling out onto the beach when it closed at 4am.

One worker said: ‘Police were down earlier speaking to people from the club. Apparently their handbags were found on the beach along with a coat. I saw coastguard officers searching for more of their personal belongings like phones.

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‘It’s absolutely dreadful. The student night is always packed out. I was told students were spilling out onto the beach, smoking and drinking.’

Emergency crews were alerted to concerns for the women’s welfare shortly before 6am.

Their bodies were recovered near Madeira Drive.

Lifeboat crews and a coastguard helicopter continued scouring the water throughout the morning.

Police have now confirmed the ‘extensive search’ has been wound down and they are not looking for anyone else.

Officers are now trawling through CCTV covering the area in a bid to ‘understand exactly what happened’.

Work to identify the women is also ongoing.

Graphic showing the location of where the three bodies were located (Picture: PA)

Emergency workers carry a body fromthe beach (Picture: Brighton Pictures)

Emergency services at the scene on Madeira Drive, Brighton (Picture: PA)

A coastguard helicopter was seen as well as multiple police vehicles at the beach front (Picture: Mirrorpix)
Chief Superintendent Adam Hays told reporters: ‘This is a tragic incident, and we are in the very early stages of our inquiries.

‘Our priority right now is to identify all three women, contact their next to kin.

‘I know this incident will be highly distressing for the community and you’re working hard with our partners to understand exactly what has happened.

‘This includes gathering, viewing CCTV, the surrounding area, including the properties and the local businesses nearby.

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

A lifeboat crew scours the water as part of the search (Picture: Eddie Mitchell)
‘We were asking the public to please stay away from the area while we work at the scene.’

Photos taken at the scene show a huge police presence with several marked cars and vans in attendance.

A lifeboat crew could be seen scouring the water off the coast, supported by a coastguard helicopter.

Emergency equipment was spotted strewn across the stony beach, with officers also seen holding up an orange sheet to shield one of the bodies.

One walker told the Daily Mail: ‘It’s absolutely tragic. I heard they were found close to the shore and pulled out but nothing could be done to save them.

‘The conditions are not right for sea swimming today. It is very, very windy and there is a strong current that pushes people east from the pier.

‘It is not inconceivable the women went into the sea near the Brighton Palace Pier around half a mile away and got pushed this way. This just goes to show how dangerous it can be.’

The coastguard said it is responding to the incident, and has sent a helicopter as well as rescue teams from Shoreham, Newhaven, Littlehampton and Birling Gap, and three RNLI lifeboats from Brighton and Shoreham.

Police and coastguard officials were stationed along the seafront and on the shingle beach during the morning, where a lifeboat could be seen out at sea and a helicopter was flying overhead.

The sea appeared choppy, with waves crashing against the marina wall.

The leader of Brighton and Hove City Council, Bella Sankey, has sent her condolences to the families of the three women

In a statement, she said: ‘I am shocked and deeply saddened to hear of the deaths of three women off the Brighton coast this morning.

‘My heart goes out to the friends and family of these women, and on behalf of Brighton and Hove I send sincere condolences.

‘I would also like to thank the emergency services for their quick response and combined efforts; it is heartbreaking that their recovery efforts have ended in such tragic circumstances.’

Shortly after 5.45am, the ambulance service said it was called to reports of ‘concern for the welfare of three women in the sea off Brighton’.

‘Ambulance crews and critical care paramedics attended and recovered three women from the water, but despite the best efforts of all those involved, they were declared deceased at the scene.’