ISLAND POLICE today, Monday November 15, are working with the coastguard after a body was spotted in the busy shipping lanes of the Solent.

The coastguard operation centre at Lee-On-The-Solent was notified by the vessel ‘The Rebel’ after the skipper made the gruesome discovery shortly after 11.20am this morning.

The unnamed male is believed to have been spotted within the Stokes Bay area, near Gosport, Hants. The RNLI inshore Cowes lifeboat recovered the man and returned to Cowes where the boat was met by detectives.

A police spokesperson from Hampshire and IW police confirmed that an investigation has been launched. They went on to say that detectives are keeping an open mind and awaiting the results of a post-mortem examination, due to be carried out at St Mary’s Hospital.

An MCA spokesperson said: “The coastguard are working with both island and mainland officer from the Hampshire and IW police to establish the identity of the man.”