Body on beach yet to be identified

A police officer guards the scene where a woman's body was found on St Clair beach. Photo / Otago Daily Times

The body of a woman found beside the St Clair piles yesterday has yet to be identified, police say.

Detective Senior Sergeant John Ferguson said a post-mortem examination was expected to be carried out last night and police hoped to release more details about the woman today to help identify her.

The death was not being treated as suspicious, Det Snr Sgt Ferguson said.

A man walking his dog contacted emergency services after discovering the body above the tideline between St Clair and Middle Beach, just after 6am.

A large area of the beach was cordoned off, including a park bench on the Esplanade where a towel had been left.

Det Snr Sgt Ferguson said it appeared the woman was elderly.

A man who was running in the area around the time of the body's discovery told the Otago Daily Times "the cops were yelling at people to get off the beach".

"You could see at the poles all the interest was down there ... with a body under a white plastic sheet."

The body was removed about 10am.