Rucksack child 'dead before plunge'

The parents were said to have been unable to come to terms with the death, believed to be the result of an illness, according to sources.

The child's body was found in a rucksack around 400ft down the notorious suicide spot near Eastbourne, East Sussex, alongside the couple's bodies.

A second rucksack found by rescuers nearby was filled with toys. Sussex Police said they were not treating the deaths as suspicious as inquiries continued into the background to the tragedy.

It began to unfold at 8.20pm on Sunday when coastguards on routine patrol saw what they thought were two bodies part-way down the cliff-face.

A decision was taken at the time to wait until the following day for the recovery operation to take place because of the tide and failing light. But when the search resumed, Eastbourne Coastguard station officer Stuart McNab said they discovered the two rucksacks, one containing the body of a child aged around five.

Sources confirmed that the victims were a couple and their young child.

Speaking at the cliff-top, Mr McNab said: "The bag was closed when I got to it. I saw what I thought was a doll's head, but on closer examination it was a child."

He said the second rucksack contained toys, including a tractor and soft toys. A silver Volkswagen camper van found abandoned in a car park nearby was also recovered and is undergoing forensic examination.

None of the victims have been formally identified as next of kin have yet to be informed, a police spokesman said.