Cumbrian Coastguard teams were called to a report of ‘several pieces of ordnance’ on West Cumbrian beaches.

Late afternoon on Friday, April 17, Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre Belfast Coastguard, contacted Whitehaven and Millom Coastguard teams after a member of the public dialled 999 to report what they believed were several pieces of ordnance on the beach at Drigg.

A spokesperson for Whitehaven Coastguard said: “Our team quickly arrived on scene to establish a safety cordon and conduct a search of the area.

“In total, eight suspected pieces of ordnance were located.

“The items were marked, photographed, and their coordinates recorded and handed over to Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) specialists for assessment.

“A safety patrol and cordon remained in place until the rising tide safely covered the items, after which the team stood down late yesterday evening.”

Meanwhile, Millom Coastguard Rescue Team were tasked to investigate a separate report of suspected ordnance nearby at Eskmeals.

This item was later confirmed to be inert and not dangerous.

At 4:00am on Saturday, April 18, both Whitehaven and Millom teams were re-tasked to Drigg, to meet with the EOD team.

On the ebbing tide, the items were relocated, and a safety cordon was once again established while EOD worked to make them safe.

This operation resulted in one controlled explosion.

The spokesperson added: “Following periods of stormy weather, it is not uncommon for suspicious items to wash ashore or become uncovered due to shifting sands.

“On occasion, some of these items can be ordnance or marine pyrotechnics, which can pose a safety risk.”

They provided the following advise if you discover a suspicious item on the beach:

• Do not touch it
• Move away from the area
• Make a note of the location. Ideally a grid reference or What3Words if you can

You then call 999 and ask for the coastguard.