The search for a woman feared missing at Camber Sands has been called off after the woman was found safe and well. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) said the woman has now been identified and the incident was a false alarm.

Earlier a major search took place after reports that a woman who went for a swim failed to return and a pair of flip-flops had been found. The search took place in the same area where five young friends from London drowned on Wednesday, 24 August.

The five are thought to have been trapped by quicksand and fast-flowing tides. At least two of the victims are said to have been unable to swim.

The incident was one of a series of tragedies that saw 12 fatalities around the UK coast in less than a fortnight.