Fresh drama sparks war bombs warning

Winter weather helping to unearth devices on beach

Winter storms and flooding could lead to more unexploded bombs being washed up on the Tayside and Fife coastline.

Bomb disposal experts gave the warning after the peace of an Angus autumn evening was disrupted for the second time in two days by controlled explosions.

A military bomb disposal unit was called out after two corroded devices washed up close to the Redcastle farm estate near Lunan Bay on Thursday.

They were found by local resident David Mackay who incredibly stumbled across another five devices in the sand around 2pm yesterday.

One team member said: “Storms and floods unearth unexploded wartime bombs due to tidal sand movements.

“This, in turn, leads to these devices washing up on the beach and being found by walkers.

“Some devices can simply be picked up, carried away and disposed of.

“Most, however, are in such a sensitive state that moving them is simply too dangerous and they have to be dealt with on site.”

Although the explosives cannot be set off by a person walking over them, members of the public are urged not to touch or approach anything that looks suspicious.

Practice bombing missions were carried out right around the British coast during the Second World War.

Unexploded bombs have been found sporadically up and down the coast which were used in training in defined areas at Tentsmuir, Ladybank and Lunan Bay.

One dating from the Second World War was destroyed in a field between St Andrews and Kingsbarns in June.

Two 1kg German bombs were found in Cupar in 2014 and subsequently disposed of, while a similar-sized incendiary was found in Dunfermline and destroyed.

A Ministry of Defence investigation previously turned up 3,520 bombs in a sweep of Lunan Bay in 1997, between Arbroath and Montrose, 420 of which were live devices.

A cannonball was also found on the beach dating back to the Jacobean period when there were several attacks on Montrose by French ships.

Most, however, are in such a sensitive state that moving them is simply too dangerous and they have to be dealt with on site

Picture: Andy Thompson. Police officers cordoned off the beach and dunes at Lunan Bay and were awaiting the army bomb disposal team following the discovery of a number of wartime devices.