A rescue operation was launched after a woman was spotted in the sea in the early hours of this morning.

The woman had been spotted in the water off Jubilee Beach at around 2am by a an off-duty RNLI crew member.

Coastguards from Southend and Canvey, as well as the RNLI, were called to the scene and launched a lifeboat to rescue the woman.

She was able to get herself back to shore safely but continued to walk close to the waters edge around Southend Pier.

A coastguard spokesman said crews continued to monitor the woman and follow her from a safe distance as she also walk onto various jetties near the water.

Paramedics were eventually able to treat the woman after three hours and transferred her to hospital for further assessment.

The spokesman for the coastguard added: “In what was a challenging three hours, we would like to thank all crews and East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust for ensuring the casualty did not come to any further harm.”