A stretch of a Moray coastline was sealed off yesterday after an unexploded bomb was discovered washed up on the beach.

Emergency services were called to the beauty spot at the east of Findhorn after a member of the public raised the alarm shortly after 10:30am.

People out for a Sunday stroll were warned away from the area where the explosive device had come ashore. Coastguard crews remained on hand throughout the day, until a bomb squad arrived from Faslane. They safely explode the munition in the early evening.

Due to its proximity to a nearby car park, the stretch of beach is popular among locals and is a scenic place to take dogs for a walk. One onlooker said that dozens of people looking to cross the sands were turned away as a 650ft stretch was blocked off.

The bomb remained underwater throughout much of the day, and the disposal team had to wait until the tide had gone out to blow it up. Whilst it was submerged, a curious seal was seen inspecting the device, but the animal’s attention was not enough to trigger it.

Coastguard teams beamed lights down onto the shore as the bomb disposal experts worked carefully to ensure it was safely detonated.

A spokesman for the coastguard service said: “The device was found washed ashore on the beach early in the day. The Explosive Ordnance Disposal unit was called from Faslane, and our crews kept the area cordoned off until they arrived.”

The spokesman said he did not have any information on how old the bomb is thought to be, but it is believed to date from WWII.

A police spokeswoman added: “We received a call from a member of the public about this at 10:38am, and an officer was sent to secure the area.”

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