breydon water
The bodies were discovered on a mudbank in Breydon Water by police shortly after 11.20am on Thursday (29 September) Geograph/Christine Johnstone

The bodies of a man and a woman have been found on a mudbank on the Norfolk coast after reportedly being spotted by a birdwatcher through a telescope.

Norfolk Police officers were called to Breydon Water near Great Yarmouth shortly after 11.20am on Thursday (29 September) after a member of the public raised the alarm.

The force said that the deaths of the pair, believed to be aged between 40 and 50, were so far being treated as unexplained.

The bodies were recovered with the help of the Coastguard and Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service.

Detective Inspector Chris Burgess said: "It has taken some time for officers to recover the bodies due to where they were discovered.

"The deaths are currently being treated as unexplained. We are in the early stages of the inquiry and it would be inappropriate to speculate any further."

Post-mortem examinations will be held to establish the cause of death.

The alarm was reportedly raised by a birdwatcher who spotted the bodies through a telescope, the Eastern Daily Press reported.

Breydon Water is a large stretch of sheltered estuary that feeds into the sea through the port of Great Yarmouth. The rivers Yare, Waveney and Bure flow into Breydon, making up the UK's largest protected wetland.

The area is tidal and currents can be significant, with residents saying they regularly see rescuers having to retrieve trapped boats.