A BODY has been found in the hunt for missing 10-year-old Stella Akanbi

The youngster was playing with her friend when they both got into difficulty yesterday at 4pm.

Members of the public rushed to their aid and brought one girl ashore but were unable to help Stella, who was visting from Buckinghamshire.

Almost 24 hours later, divers found a body about one mile towards Jaywick

Stella’s mother and stepfather travelled to Essex late on Sunday night and is now being supported by police family liaison officers.

The rescued girl and a member of the public were taken to Clacton District Hospital, where they were treated for water intake and were later discharged.

Mr Moffatt said the search was "quite intensive" with between 40 and 50 people scanning the area.

Speaking earlier he said: "We always keep hope until we find the person but obviously the longer that it takes to find somebody the greater the chance that it will end in tragedy."