Three sisters who drowned off the coast of Brighton took their own lives as part of a suicide pact after visiting the place where their mother killed herself 16 years earlier, an inquest has found.

The bodies of Jane Adetoro, 36, Christina Walters, 32, and Rebecca Walters, 31, were pulled from the sea at Brighton beach on May 13.

Police and the coastguard had been alerted to reports of a woman in difficulty in the sea at around 5.45am.

But when they arrived they recovered the bodies of all three sisters. All were pronounced dead at the scene.

Today an inquest at Woodvale Coroner's Court heard that less than 48 hours before the tragedy they had travelled from their shared home in Uxbridge, London to Erdington, Birmingham on May 11.

They were dropped off at Linton Walk near to Brookvale Park Lake, where they visited their mother's former home before being picked up from a road next to Brookvale Lake, where their mother died. 

It is thought they also visited their mother's grave but no CCTV footage exists to confirm their movements in the city, the inquest was told.

After spending just 90 minutes in Birmingham they took a taxi back to London in the early hours of May 12 and then travelled to Brighton that evening.

They arrived in Brighton at 10.21pm and were seen on CCTV cameras on the road adjacent to the beach.

It was around three hours later that police received the reports of a woman in difficulty in the water. 

None of the sisters were able to swim, the inquest heard, and they had never had any lessons. There was also no known connection between the three of them and Brighton itself. 

Ms Adetoro was brought to shore by an RNLI crew and declared dead at the scene on the morning of May 13.

Christina Walters was recovered from the sea by an RNLI lifeboat, and Rebecca Walters was washed on to the shore of Brighton beach. They were also pronounced dead that morning by paramedics.

A post-mortem found all three women had drowned, and cited no drugs or alcohol in their bodies. There was also no evidence to suggest they had been subject to violence. 

Detective Chief Inspector Mark Cullimore told Senior Coroner Penelope Schofield: 'On Wednesday, May 13, two calls were received reporting bodies could be seen in the sea in Brighton.

'One body appeared lifeless and had been washed up on the shore. It was windy and the sea was particularly rough.'

The sisters' father, Joseph Jacobsen, told the inquest: 'There are no words that can adequately express the loss of a child. It's a heartbreak beyond anything I could imagine. 

'Each had their own special place in my heart. They shared a special bond as sisters.

'I find some comfort in my Christian faith. They were my daughters. They were loved and they mattered. I'm left with memories that I will have for the rest of my life.' 

He added: 'Your absence has left a space in my heart that nothing can fill. You were my daughters, you will always be my daughters and may your souls rest in eternal peace.' 

Coroner Schofield told the court she was ruling that the three women 'entered the sea at West Beach, Brighton to end their lives'.

She added: 'These three sisters lived very secluded lives, they were incredibly private, we don't know why they took this course of action or indeed why they chose to do it in Brighton.

'It is not for the court to speculate and sadly these reasons may never be known.'

It was revealed that before travelling to the seaside town, the sisters had made meticulous preparations for their deaths.

They had tidied and cleared their flat of possessions. They had also settled up all their debts and closed their bank accounts.

Christina, who had suffered from anxiety and depression since her mother's death, had also carried out intensive research on her computer about suicide and looked for bodies of water.

After her father contacted her GP to inform them she was struggling with the conditions, a letter was sent to her but she did not make contact with the surgery or mental health services. 

Jane was not registered with a doctor and Rebecca's records held nothing of note.

Their father Mr Jacobsen asked the coroner: 'Have police got any proof that it was a suicide attempt, because based on the laptop, she could have been researching that, but that doesn't give police the final answer that it was a suicide attempt?'

Ms Schofield replied: 'All the police can do is provide the court with the evidence that they've found.'

The women died 16 years after their mother, Janice, who died from drowning after going missing in December 2009. At the time of her death, the sisters were aged 20, 16 and 15.

She was last seen by one of her daughters and had been struggling with stress-related mental health issues. She turned up at a police station in October 2009 suffering from 'paranoid delusions', relatives said.

She was found dead three months after she was reported missing. 

After their mother's death, the sisters moved back to London together, having previously moved to Birmingham with her after her split from their father. 

Neighbours described them as very private and said they had shopping delivered to their home every week.

Jane worked as an accountant and was described as taking on the 'mother' role to her two sisters.

Meanwhile Christina, who along with her sister Rebecca had changed her surname to Walters, her mother's maiden name, had recently graduated from Brunel University and also worked in accountancy, while Rebecca worked in HR.

The sisters' cousin, Natalie Walters-Daniel, previously said the women had never got over the death of their mother. 

For confidential support, call Samaritans on 116 123, visit samaritans.org or visit https://www.thecalmzone.net/get-support