A drunk and fully clothed man jumped into the sea and then refused police attempts to coax him out.

The incident sparked a sea rescue from the volunteers of the Brighton RNLI lifeboat this morning at 5.45am.

The intoxicated man was spotted entering the sea near the Palace Pier.

Sussex Police officers attempted to persuade the man to leave the water but once their efforts failed, called in Shoreham Coastguard officers and the Brighton inshore lifeboat.

Once next to the man in the sea, the crew of the Atlantic 85 gained the man's trust and he agreed to get aboard the boat.

Volunteer crew members became concerned for the health of the man who was becoming ill due to a mixture of the cold water and alcohol.

The coxswain of the lifeboat decided to beach the boat so the man could have immediate medical attention from paramedics from South East Coast Ambulance Service.

The man was then taken to Royal Sussex County Hospital.

Brighton lifeboat crew member Jade Cohen said: "This is our fourth shout in a month to an intoxicated male.

"We are urging everyone not to go into the sea after a night out as can be very dangerous.

"Today the gentleman was very lucky with the quick response from Sussex Police, Brighton Seafront Office, Shoreham Coastguard and the crew from the lifeboat."

The RNLI annually run a Respect the Water campaign which seeks to educate people about the potential dangers of entering the sea without checking conditions, without proper equipment and precautions, or while under the influence of alcohol.