UK
Devon’s Beer Beach evacuated after suspected unexploded bomb washed ashore
A Devon beach was evacuated after a suspected unexploded bomb washed ashore, police have said.
The object was found in Beer, a seaside village on the south coast, on Sunday afternoon. Witnesses reported it to police fearing it was an unexploded shell.
Devon and Cornwall Police said they were called at 4pm on 25 August after reports that a suspected unexploded ordnance had washed up on the shoreline.
Adrian Bamford, who lives in Weston-super-Mare, told Sky News he came across the object while on a camping holiday with his family.
While they were walking across the shoreline, “my daughter then stumbled across the half-buried shell under the pebbles”.
Pic: Adrian Bamford
“She pointed it out, where my eldest son moved the pebbles out of the way and we recognised that it could’ve been a weapon,” Mr Bamford added.
“Unbeknownst to my son, he picked it up and dragged it away to see if it was real, or unused. He described it as incredibly heavy and we googled what an old empty shell looks like.
“It wasn’t empty, and looked full to us. My youngest son came and got me and I phoned 999 and waited for further instructions.”
An evacuated Beer Beach in Devon. Pic: PA
Martin Richards, chairman of Beer Parish Council in Devon, said earlier the beach had been cordoned off and a nearby road was closed as police and Coastguard members secured the area.
He said earlier two police cars were at the scene and a “full squad of coastguards” had made sure no one approached the object.
“The beach is shut off,” he added. “You can’t get anywhere near it.”
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While the cordon has since been lifted, HM Coastguard said an explosive ordnance disposal unit could not access the object because of incoming tides.
They added rescue teams would return at low tide to “reassess the situation”.
A Ministry of Defence spokesperson said: “We can confirm a Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team was called out to Beer Beach at the request of Devon and Cornwall Police. All further queries should be directed to the police.”