Published at 13:03, Tuesday, 29 June 2010

A BOMB disposal team detonated an explosive found on a West Cumbrian beach.

A special Navy unit were brought in from Scotland when the Second World War mortar shell was washed up at Drigg Point, near Ravenglass, yesterday.

The shell was found lying on the beach by a passer-by at 9.30am.

Millom coastguard and the police attended the scene. A controlled explosion was carried out at 7.30pm by Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal technicians.

A spokeswoman for Liverpool Coastguard said: “Unexploded munitions were found by a member of the public at Drigg Point.

“Usually bombs are washed up which have been rattling around on the ocean floor since the Second World War. But sometimes they come from Eskmeals Gun Range, who are allowed to fire into the sea.

“But in this case it is very unlikely it came from the range as the shell was very old and very rusty.”

No one was hurt in the explosion.

The Eskmeals gun range, near Bootle, is owned by the Ministry of Defence and was set up as a weapon’s testing base.

Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk