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.

It’s believed the suspected ordnance may have first been spotted by a metal detectorist who raised the alarm.

Martin Richards, chairman of Beer Parish Council in Devon, said 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”.

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