Extensive searches for a man missing in the sea off St Agnes have been called off this afternoon.

A large number of lifeboats were involved in the search that began yesterday after the alarm was raised just before 12.45pm.

It carried on into the early hours of this morning and resumed again along the shoreline at 8am, but HM Coastguard said it had now been stood down.

It is after coastguards received a call to say that three people were in potential difficulty after reportedly being washed off rocks and into the water at Tubby's Head, St Agnes.

Two people were able to get out of the water themselves, and were placed into the care of the ambulance service, but one remains missing.

A coastguard spokesperson said Falmouth Coastguard Operations Centre began coordinating a multi-agency response, involving St Ives all-weather lifeboat, St Agnes lifeboat, Sennen Cove lifeboat and Padstow all-weather lifeboat, as well as St Agnes, Portreath and Newquay coastguard rescue teams.

The coastguard search and rescue helicopters from Newquay and Devon and Devon and Cornwall Police also helped in the search at various times.

However, the agency said this afternoon: "After extensive searches today, overnight and yesterday, HM Coastguard has now stood down the search for a missing person off Tubby's Head, St Agnes, Cornwall. Our thoughts are with the family.

"We would like to thank all of the rescue teams who took part in this multi-agency search and rescue effort."

Nearby vessels had also been contacted and asked to help Falmouth Coastguard with any further information.

A spokesperson for Devon and Cornwall Police said: "Police were notified by Coastguard at around 1.30pm of a concern of welfare of a man in the sea at St Agnes Head yesterday, Thursday, November 12.

"The RNLI and Coastguard attended the scene to conduct searches for the man.

"Searches resumed this morning, Friday, November 13, however Coastguard have now called off their searches. The man's next of kin have been informed."