Police are combing the beaches of Sussex for the body of a missing fisherman.

Coastguard officials say they have given up all hope of finding the man alive after he was reported missing yesterday.

The alarm was raised at 11.43am on Saturday after another fisherman became worried about his friend.

A search was launched for the missing one-man 18ft boat which was later spotted off the coast of Bognor just before midday.

Littlehampton RNLI lifeboat crew boarded the boat and found the fishing nets still cast and no sign of the skipper, who is in his 40s.

RNLI crews, the coastguard helicopter India Juliet, Littlehampton and Shoreham's coastguard rescue teams and Royal Navy patrol ships Severn and Tracker scoured the seas for the man without success.

The boat has now been towed back into Littlehampton Harbour and police have begun trawling the coast for his remains.

A spokeswoman for the Maritime and Coastguard Agency said: "It was quite an intensive search operation but unfortunately nothing was found.

"The coastguards will probably do a shoreline search in the morning but there would be no possibility of survival after such a long time in the water at this time of year.

"No body has been found this morning."

Do you know the missing man? Call The Argus on 01273 544527 or email news@theargus.co.uk.