Beachy Head is known as one of the UK's most infamous suicide spots

Although the area has been used by suicide jumpers, it is thought the bodies have been washed ashore.

A spokesman for Dover Coastguard said what appeared to be bags had been found with the corpses on Saturday morning.

A body was first seen on rocks at the foot of the 600-feet-high cliffs by the crew of a Sussex Police helicopter on routine patrol, just before 1500 GMT on Friday.

When they flew past the cliffs again, the pilot saw what appeared to be three more corpses.

It would appear that they have been washed ashore by the high winds and high tides Sussex Police spokesman

Sussex Police later said closer inspection had revealed there were three bodies in total, rather than four as originally thought.

The spokesman for Dover Coastguard said two lifeboats and three response teams were involved in the recovery operation.

Cliff rescue specialists were being lowered over the edge to reach the bodies, which were all found within 50 feet of each other.

The spokesman was not able to confirm whether police were linking the discovery to any other incident.

Sussex Police said in a statement: "The bodies are in various stages of decomposition indicating that they may well have been in the water for varying lengths of time.

"At this stage there do not appear to be any suspicious circumstances.

"It would appear that they have been washed ashore by the high winds and high tides of the last 24 hours."

A coroner's inquiry is expected to start once the bodies have been recovered.