Spent mortar shell found on Suffolk beach

Coastguard teams called in after detectorist uncovers suspicious object

The item was found to be a spent mortar shell and was taken away for disposal
Author: Emma SmithPublished 20th Aug 2025

A man using a metal detector has discovered a spent mortar shell on Benacre beach in Suffolk.

The item was reported on Tuesday and Gorleston Coastguard from Norfolk quickly set up a safety cordon. An explosives disposal team later confirmed the object was a used mortar shell and safely removed it.

It’s not the first time the team has been called out for this type of find. Back in July, they assisted bomb disposal experts with a controlled explosion after another mortar shell was found on a beach near Lowestoft.

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