Investigations are continuing into the incident

Patricia Mayor, 44, from the Aller area of Somerset was diving on a wreck seven miles off Exmouth, when the incident happened on Friday.

She was a constable in the Ministry of Defence police serving at the Royal Naval Air Station at Yeovilton, said the MoD.

The dive vessel Interconnect was four miles off Hope's Nose, near Torquay, when it radioed Brixham Coastguards to say an unconscious diver had surfaced.

Teignmouth and Torbay Coastguards and the Coastguard Rescue helicopter were called out.

Devon and Cornwall Police said Mrs Mayor was brought ashore at Hope Cove, Torquay, and airlifted to hospital, where she was certified dead.

Inquiries into the incident are still going on, said a police spokesman, who added that Mrs Mayor was an experienced diver.