A search under is under way for a 20-year-old British man who has gone missing from a popular beach in Australia alongside his French companion.

Police are looking for Hugo Palmer and his friend Erwan Ferrieux, also 20, after items belonging to the pair were discovered at Shelly Beach, on the New South Wales coast north of Sydney.

Walkers found their belongings at about 6.30am on Monday (7.30pm GMT Sunday), and police later discovered their rental car in the beach’s car park with a number of personal items, including travel documents, inside, the Press Association reports.

New South Wales Police said a water and ground search had been commenced, but there had not yet been any sign of the pair.

Inspector Michael Aldridge told the Port Macquarie News that the two men had arrived in the area on Sunday morning.

“We believe from information provided so far that the items may have been there since Sunday evening as well,” he said.

He described the surf conditions as “terrible” over the past few days.

Police have not disclosed how long Palmer, reported to be from East Sussex, and Ferrieux had been in Australia.

A spokeswoman for the Foreign Office said: “Our staff are in contact with police in Australia and the UK following reports of a missing British man at Shelly beach, New South Wales.”