A woman who tried to commit suicide by walking into the sea was saved by two police officers early today.

Police were called to Marine Parade in Southend at about 4am after a taxi driver spotted the woman on the slipway.

When they arrived the woman began walking further out on the slipway until she was up to her neck in water. Police said that when she saw the officers the woman made threats to commit suicide by drowning herself.

A police spokesman said: "The two officers waded out themselves and pulled the woman to safety. She was treated at the scene by paramedics and then taken to hospital."

The woman, who is not local, is not thought to have suffered any injuries. The two police officers were named as PCs Paul Morris and Richard Baxter.

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