'A lot of people had their head in their hands so it was clearly a sensitive issue,' one witness said

Emergency services rushed to West Mersea beach, near Colchester, last night after multiple people got into difficulty in the water.

Fatalities are feared following what has been described as a "tragic incident" at the popular Essex beach.

Police and HM Coastguard were first scrambled to the scene at approximately 5.30pm.

Essex Police urged members of the public to stay away from the area.

The West Mersea Coastguard Rescue Team issued a statement shortly after midnight, with locals fearing people may have died.

The stretch of coastline is well known for its powerful currents, which can catch swimmers off guard.

The East of England Ambulance Service and Essex Fire and Rescue Service also attended.

A spokesman for the West Mersea Coastguard Rescue Team said: "Tonight we have responded to a tragic incident on West Mersea beach."

"Our team and West Mersea Lifeboat Station RNLI were first on scene," the spokesman added.

The rescue team confirmed it would not provide further details about what happened.

"We will not be making any further comment on the details at this time and leave this task to Essex Police as an ongoing incident. Our thoughts are with the family involved," the spokesman said.

Essex Police posted on Facebook on Wednesday evening asking people to keep away from Seaview Avenue and the beach.

"We appreciate that this will cause some local issues, but would ask for your patience and understanding as we may be there for some time yet," the force said.

Witnesses said they saw CPR being carried out on the beach after individuals were pulled from the sea.

A massive emergency response was deployed, including at least six ambulances, around twelve police cars, a fire engine, two air ambulances and a Coastguard helicopter.

Lifeboats from both West Mersea and Clacton were also dispatched, the RNLI confirmed.

TRAGEDY IN THE WATER - READ MORE:

Two air ambulances touched down on a green next to the caravan park's Sandbanks bar and restaurant, while the Coastguard helicopter landed directly on the beach.

A lifeboat was seen launching and scouring the water as the operation unfolded.

Officers searched the shoreline using torches as darkness fell on Wednesday evening.

A Coastguard vehicle remained on the shingle beach overnight near a cordoned-off area.

A nearby resident described the scene to The Sun after noticing an ambulance return to the area.

"I could see about 18 emergency vehicles," the eyewitness said.

"I also saw two air ambulances and one Coastguard helicopter which had its door open so they must have been searching for someone," they added.

"On arrival the police had everyone move back and set up a cordon."

The witness described an atmosphere of distress among onlookers.

"A lot of people had their head in their hands so it was clearly a sensitive issue," they said.