Mourners gather in Newhaven for funeral of fisherman

Mourners gathered in Newhaven

The funeral of a fisherman who drowned off of the Sussex Coast has been held.

38-year-old Robert Morley drowned when his boat sank on the 21st of November last year.

The 45ft scalloping boat, named the Joanna C, put out an emergency distress beacon at around 6am that morning with two RNLI lifeboats and a helicopter joining the search.

Joanna C had been rebuilt in 2019 Credit: Martin Johns / Fishing News

The captain of the boat, Dave Bickerstaff, was pulled from the water after he was found clinging to a lifebuoy. The search for the other two crew was called off at 11pm that evening.

Adam Harper, 26, from Brixham, was one of the two fishermen reported missing when the boat sank. His body was found within the wreck.

Robert Morley's his body washed up on the shore of Bexhill on the 14th of December.

Today (March 8) hundreds of mourners gathered at Newhaven Quay to pay their respects to Mr Morley.