COASTGUARDS, a lifeboat and hovercraft and police rushed to the scene after an elderly couple were reported missing in the sea.

A man reported the couple entered the water at Chalkwell but never came out at about 10.45am yesterday.

The Southend and Canvey coastguard teams, Southend RNLI hovercraft and Lifeboat and the police carried out a thorough search of the area but found nothing.

The coastguard considers it a false alarm.