A BODY was discovered in the sea off the coast of Swanage.

An RNLI crew from Swanage Lifeboat Station launched at around 12.45pm on Thursday when someone on a motorboat reported seeing a person in the water, around 16 nautical miles out to sea.

The lifeboat arrived at the scene as quickly as possible, recovered the person from the water and took them back to the lifeboat station.

The person was pronounced dead by paramedics a short time later.

Dorset Police are still in the process of identifying the body, a spokesperson said yesterday.

"At 12.54pm on Thursday Dorset Police received a report from HM Coastguard that a vessel had discovered a body in the sea off the coast of Swanage.

"The body has been recovered and enquiries are under way to establish the identity of the body and the circumstances of the death," they said.