Buoy from ‘Russian sub’ on beach

TEAMS were called out to a Cornish beach after reports that a buoy suspected of being released from a Russian submarine and used in maritime warfare had washed up on the shore.

Beachgoers discovered the item, which was thought to be “suspicious”, on Perranporth Beach last Wednesday afternoon, it emerged yesterday.

The beachgoers said a similar item had been discovered earlier that morning.

One person said it looked like a sonar buoy that could have been dropped during a training exercise, while another said the writing on it indicated it was an item originating from Russia.

He said: “Looking at the writing, it’s Russian. A submarine will have pushed it out. They use them to hunt for other submarines.”

Another said: “Looks just like a Russian sonar buoy. Used in antisubmarine warfare.”

The Coastguard confirmed that a 999 call was received just before noon last Wednesday reporting a washed-up object at Perranporth Beach.

The St Agnes Coastguard Rescue Team attended to locate the item, which was then recovered by the Royal Navy.

A Royal Navy Diving Unit said it provided Explosive Ordnance assistance to the Coastguard at Perranporth Beach to remove a suspect item.

The team were able to recover the item, which they took away for later disposal. A spokesperson for the Navy said: “We would like to thank for Coastguard Agency for their support and assistance during the incident.”