Police are not treating as suspicious a body found on Margate beach.

Sarah Deakin disappeared from Whitstable on Sunday, and a pile of clothes believed to belong to her were found on the town's seafront the following morning.

Police cordoned off part of Margate Main Sands after the grim discovery was made in the early hours of yesterday morning.

It is believed to be Ms Deakin, 57, bringing the extensive hunt for her to a tragic end.

A police statement released today said: "Officers searching for a missing 57-year-old woman from Whitstable have recovered a body.

"Kent Police was called to the beach in Margate in the early hours of Thursday 6 November, where the woman's body was found.

"The death is not being treated as suspicious."

A post mortem is due to be carried out on Monday.

Ms Deakin was last seen alive at 9.30pm on Sunday in Shaftesbury Street, Whitstable, which is near her home

She was reported missing and police launched an appeal for information about her whereabouts.

Emergency crews including police and the Coastguard scoured an eight-mile area between Seasalter and Herne Bay in the search for Ms Deakin.

The RAF Sea King also joined the search, and was spotted hovering overhead near the Old Neptune pub.