A ‘suspicious item’ discovered in the sand at Berrow by two metal‑detecting enthusiasts sparked an emergency response on Burnham‑On‑Sea beach on Saturday afternoon (February 28th) amid concern it could be wartime ordnance.
Burnham Coastguards and Police were called to the scene after the pair, who were visiting from London, found what appeared to be a potentially a metal wartime ordnance object buried several inches beneath the surface of the beach.
A beach warden assisted officers in cordoning off a small section of the beach while the item was examined.
The area remained closed to the public for a short time while Coastguard volunteers and Police worked carefully to expose the object and assess any possible risk.
After further inspection, it became clear that the object was not hazardous and was confirmed to be a length of metal scaffolding that had become buried in the sand, left behind from earlier nearby building work.
Emergency crews stood down once the item was identified, and the beach was fully reopened shortly afterwards.
A Coastguard spokesperson said the call‑out was made “in good faith” and thanked the public for keeping clear of the cordon while the investigation was carried out.
