A body found in the sea and brought to shore at Hoylake has been formally identified as a missing man in his 40s from North Wales.

The remains were spotted six miles off the Wirral coast at 10.30pm on Wednesday.

The body was brought ashore at Hoylake and later taken to Liverpool for  post-mortem examination.

The RNLI said a boat which takes workers to and from a wind farm had reported an object in the water.

Hoylake's all-weather lifeboat the Edmund Hawthorn Micklewood was launched and recovered the body.

A Merseyside Police spokesman confirmed the deceased had been identified as a man from North Wales.

In a statement after the discovery police said: “Officers were called by the coastguard just before 10.30pm following reports that the body had been seen about six miles off the Wirral coastline.

“The body was recovered from the water to Hoylake and brought to Liverpool where a Home Office post mortem will take place.”