A SEARCH for a man overboard has been suspended. 

The man was seen jumping off a ferry in the Solent at around 10.40 this morning. 

Now emergency services have handed the incident to the police as a missing person enquiry.

More than ten agencies were involved in the search for the man who is understood to have jumped off the St Cecilia Wightlink ferry.

A spokesperson for Wightlink ferries said: "Wightlink staff have been saddened to learn the search for a man who jumped from the Portsmouth to Fishbourne car ferry St Cecilia this morning as it left Portsmouth Harbour has been suspended, pending further information.

"Passengers on board the 10:30 sailing to Fishbourne, who witnessed the incident, alerted the crew. The Captain of St Cecilia immediately launched the ship's rescue boat. Several other vessels joined the search."

A spokesperson for the UK coastguard said "several different vessels" were involved including the coastguard towers, a navy vessel, Portsmouth in shore lifeboat and Bembridge lifeboat crews. 

A statement released by the Maritime Coastguard Agency said: "An extensive search has been carried out of the area around Portsmouth Harbour following reports of a man overboard from a ferry.

"Despite a thorough and comprehensive search by two RNLI lifeboats from Portsmouth, HM Coastguard’s search and rescue helicopter from Lee-on-Solent, Hillhead and Portsmouth Coastguard Rescue Teams and other vessels in the area, nothing has been found.

"The search has now been suspended, pending further information. It is now a missing person enquiry and will be handed over to the police."

A Hampshire police spokesperson said: "We are making enquiries to establish what has happened."