BUDE Coastguard Rescue Team was paged last week, following a report by a member of the public that a suspected ordnance device was found among the rocks at Widemouth Bay.

On Thursday, October 6, at 12.16pm, Bude Coastguard rescue Team (CRT) was paged and tasked by Falmouth Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre (MRCC) to Widemouth Bay, after a member of the public reported a sighting of a bomb in the rocks.

Upon arrival, the immediate area around the device was cordoned off, and images were dispatched to Falmouth MRCC and onward to the Royal Navy’s Bomb Disposal Unit.

After receiving the images, the bomb disposal team confirmed suspicions that this was likely to be a form of ordnance and made its way to Widemouth Bay, while Bude CRT cleared a 200m radius exclusion zone on the beach, preparing for the object’s disposal in advance of the Royal Navy team’s arrival.

When it arrived, the Bomb Disposal team confirmed the device to be the head of a ‘Spigot Mortar’, which was confirmed to be most likely a remnant of the Second World War.

After removing the suspect device to a safe position on the beach, the Royal Navy team then used half a kilo of explosive to safety dispatch the object.

Following the confirmation that the object had been destroyed, the beach was reopened to the public, and Bude CRT was duly stood down to return to station.