Suspected UXO Found on Southend Beach

A part of Westcliff beach near Southend-on-Sea in Essex was cordoned off after a member of the public found a suspected item of Unexploded Ordnance (UXO).

The Coastguard attended the scene and put in place a 500m cordon before an Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team attended.

The item was initially obscured by the incoming tide and so the EOD team arrived the following day. They removed the item for safe disposal.

UXO frequently washes up along Southend’s beaches. The area was on a main Luftwaffe flightpath during World War Two (WWII), with lots of defensive Anti-Aircraft (AA) guns located in the area, and may aircraft crashes recorded. The historic Shoeburyness Ranges are also located just around the coast, providing several sources of potential UXO hazard in the marine environment.

See: https://www.essexlive.news/news/essex-news/westcliff-beach-cordoned-due-suspected-8191391