Missing persons records checked

A postmortem examination is to be carried out on the woman's body

Police forces across the UK are being asked for help in identifying a woman whose body was found floating in the North Sea.

The fully-clothed body was spotted by the crew of the freight ferry Norcape, 18 miles south-east of Lowestoft just before 1200 BST on Thursday.

The Lowestoft lifeboat and an RAF helicopter from Wattisham airfield were called out.

The helicopter took the body to the James Paget Hospital in Gorleston.

A postmortem examination is to be carried out at the hospital on Monday.

It is thought the woman was aged between 35 and 50.

All police forces in the UK are being asked to check their missing persons lists to see if they can identify the woman.