Coastguards said the 43-year-old Filipino man, who was a crew member on the UK-registered Wave Sentinel, died on the ship which was 12 miles from Land's End.

Falmouth Coastguard was called at about 1330 BST on Thursday.

A rescue helicopter attended but the ship's doctor pronounced the man dead at the scene.

Police investigation

The victim's body was flown to the Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro, where a post-mortem examination will be carried out.

A spokesman for the Devon and Cornwall police said officers from the Marine Accident Investigations Board would investigate the ship when it docks at Portland in Dorset on Friday.

The coroner for west Dorset will open an inquest.