A section of Medmerry Beach was temporarily cordoned off after a report of suspected ordnance, prompting a response from Selsey Coastguard and the Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team.
Coastguard teams were first paged at 6.21pm on Saturday, 4 January, following reports of a possible item of ordnance on the beach. The team attended the scene, located the item and took photographs, which were sent to the EOD team for assessment. Crews were later stood down, pending further action.
The following morning, at 7.48am on Sunday, 5 January, Selsey Coastguard was retasked to Medmerry Beach. After confirming the item was still present, EOD specialists were informed and attended the scene.
EOD officers subsequently confirmed the item was safe and not ordnance. However, a safety cordon remained in place while EOD carried out a controlled explosion on a separate item in the area. Once the detonation was successfully completed, the cordon was lifted and the beach was reopened to the public.
Selsey Coastguard has reminded the public that ordnance can appear in many different shapes and sizes, and that items previously found on Medmerry Beach have been highly explosive.
Anyone who discovers suspected ordnance, or an item they are unsure about, is urged not to touch or move it and to dial 999 and ask for the Coastguard immediately.
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