Three WWII Mortar Rounds Wash Ashore on Essex Beach

Essex, England Three unexploded WWII mortar rounds have been safely disposed of after a person walking on the beach at Walton-on-the-Naze discovered them, Essex Police said.

Police and the coastguard quickly responded to establish a 100m cordon on the beach. A statement on the police department's social media page read, "They called in the experts from the Army disposal unit to safely destroy the ordnance at the scene. They said the unexploded rounds had washed up on the beach before they were seen by an 'eagle-eyed member of the public'."

Walton Coastguard Rescue team said the bomb disposal unit confirmed the ordnance was WWII-era. They also warned members of the public, "Please be mindful of what you find on the beach."

Last month Del Christie, from HM Coastguard at Southend-on-Sea, told reporters that his team receives 10 to 20 callouts a year for UXO. "People need to be extra vigilant at this time of year," Christie said. "The constant changing weather conditions and storms that we have, as well as strong easterly winds, means that the sands and mudflats are forever changing."