Body of woman discovered on Yorkshire holiday beach

Currently unclear if woman washed ashore before being spotted by member of public

The high chalk cliffs, promontory, and coastline flanked by the North Sea at Flamborough Head are popular with bird watchers and hikers (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

A woman's body was found on a Yorkshire beach popular with holiday makers on Tuesday morning.

Officers were called by a member of the public to reports of a body on a small beach surrounded by chalk cliffs on the Flamborough Head near Bridlington.

The region, a special area of conversation overlooked by a grade II listed lighthouse, is popular with hikers and bird watchers.

In a statement Humberside police said it had initially been reported to be the body of a man before officers were able to carry out investigations.

A spokesperson added: “Emergency services are in attendance and enquiries are in their very early stages.”

It is currently unclear if the woman had been washed ashore before being discovered.

Over the course of 2018 five people – all men – lost their lives in water-related accidents along the coast of the North East, Yorkshire & Humber and Lincolnshire - according to fatality figures released by the RNLI which showed a reduction in coastal deaths in the region from 12 in 2017.

The diminished death toll in the region went against the national trend – with coastal deaths increasing to 128 across the UK – 34% of which involved accidents while walking or running.