POLICE have suspended their recovery operations to find the two boys swept in to the sea at Lulworth Cove during a violent storm on November 3.

The search for Matthew Myburgh, 16, and Charlie Morrell, 15, washed out to sea at Lulworth Cove at around 7pm while fishing, has had to be suspended because of bad weather facing recovery teams which is due to last for several days.

The end of the recovery operation seemed in sight when, on Monday morning, plans to use sophisticated underwater search equipment to find the two boys had to be cancelled.

Avon and Somerset Police had planned to use remote control camera equipment, including sonar, owned by a private company, to assist police divers in their search.

However the rocky seabed and amount of seaweed was considered too big an obstacle for the underwater equipment to negotiate.

As the search and recovery operation was hampered by bad weather conditions on Sunday and Monday, Dorset Police's Chief Inspector Nick Maton said: "We have stopped all maritime and land searches at Lulworth Cove. The weather is changing and the situation is such that we cannot continue here. We will still respond to any information from the public and will carry out searches on that basis.

"If anyone sees an object floating in the water, we do not want people investigating by themselves. We want them to contact ourselves or the coastguard and we will bring in the necessary resources to investigate."

A police helicopter will continue to make aerial searches from Bats Head shortly after first light and Dorset Police have not ruled out hope of finding the bodies.

First published: November 8