POLICE are investigating after the body of a man was found on a Kent beach.

The body was recovered from Dover’s Shakespeare beach on Thursday. It was lying on the foreshore and found by a walker.

Police say the body is of a man believed to be in his 50s.

Port of Dover Police were first on the scene in an inflatable rib. They recovered the body and landed at Crosswall Quay, where Kent Police officers and the coroner, have taken over the investigation.

A bag of clothes, discovered on the beach near the man’s body, has also been recovered by police and is being examined as part of the investigation.

It is the first time Port of Dover Police have used their inflatable rib to assist in the recovery of a body.

The inflatable vessel was launched in April as a result of an extensive security review within the port. It is manned by members of the 60-strong force, who have volunteered for the duty