POLICE have named a man who died after a dramatic sea rescue at Blackpool.

Stephen Tyler, 36, from Birkenhead, was pulled from the water on Monday, March 8 from the south side of North Pier by the three-man crew of Blackpool's inshore lifeboat in the early hours of Monday morning.

He was understood to be on a weekend visit to the resort.

Blackpool Police received a call at 2.30am telling them a man had been spotted in the water.

A search and rescue operation was immediately launched, involving the police helicopter, coastguard and paramedics.

Mr Tyler is understood to have been found unconscious in the water near the sea wall and pulled from the water by the lifeboat crew who began resuscitation on him on their way back to Blackpool Lifeboat Station.

An ambulance was waiting at the station and he was taken to Blackpool Victoria Hospital, where he later died.

A spokesman for Lancashire Police said the cause of death was not yet confirmed as a post mortem was still to be carried out on Mr Tyler.

She added: "At this stage we are not treating the death as in any way suspicious.