1,000 bombs found on Mappleton beach – and there will be more
BOMB disposal experts who have so far found more than 1,000 explosives on a beach are warning there will be more.
A guarded cordon was put in place after a landslide at Mappleton beach, near Hornsea, resulted in bombs and rockets embedded in the cliffs for more than 40 years tumbling on to the sands.
Bomb disposal experts continue to clear the remaining explosives from the site, which was used by the RAF during the war and the cliffs were used for target practice.
Inspector Mark Coulthard, from the Holderness neighbourhood policing team, said: "On no account should any person pick these items up and take them home.
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"The likelihood of more finds is high, as coastal erosion washes away some of the cliffs, and unearths more munitions."
One bomb disposal expert, who wished to remain anonymous, said: "I've never seen anything like it apart from pictures from Iraq on TV.
"The amount of visible bombs was horrific."
The mixture of rockets, mortars and 25lb bombs were spotted by a dog walker, who notified the police on Saturday.
The police attended but were unable to identify what was there due to the high tide. The area was checked again on the Sunday.
The bomb disposal expert said: "With regards to the unexploded ordnance (uxo), they are always potentially a danger. Even though they could have been in the ground for 40 or 50 years they are still a danger.
"I think something should be done and public access should be restricted to the beach.
"With the tide there is also a danger they could be washed up and down the coast.
"It will take a considerable amount of time to remove the uxos. If anyone does come across any unexploded bombs they should not touch them and should report them to the police."
An explosive ordnance disposal team attended the scene with the assistance from the Defence School of Transport on Sunday when many of the items were taken away.
By the end of play on Sunday, 15 controlled explosions had been carried out on those items considered dangerous.
Inspector Coulthard said: "Although not live munitions, they do pose a danger as they have flash charges in them.
"I would advise any member of the public finding such an item to ensure they leave it alone and phone the police to notify us, so we can arrange the necessary measures to make them safe."
Kim Soltys, Mappleton Parish Council clerk, said: "The bomb disposal teams are down here every week picking them up, but I've never know this quantity before."
Comments
by racelt
Wednesday, July 25 2012, 11:39PM
“Why are all the reports on this story referring to Mappleton beach? It is Cowden beach where the bombing range was and where the army have been clearing munitions from almost daily for several years now. When we had a caravan at Aldbrough (in the late 1980's) we would see aircraft attacking the range several times a week they often dropped bombs at targets about a mile offshore as well, so there must be hundreds more bombs just waiting to be washed ashore.”
by Lottonews
Wednesday, July 25 2012, 11:06PM
“Sunbathing,this is more like gunbathing!”
by vanityunfair
Wednesday, July 25 2012, 9:59PM
“Does anybody here know what the blue flag limit is for bombs per square metre?”
by Libra64
Tuesday, July 24 2012, 10:28PM
“I've been going to Aldbrough since I was a nipper - 40 years ago! walking toward Mappleton, there's always been tonnes of used ammo laying around. Even when Cowden was fully manned no one bothered clearing cement filled practice bombs away, I've seen several different practice missiles, some cast iron, some blue plastic ones, tonnes of bullets, got pics from the 80's of the beach strewn with used ammo, it didn't seem to be a problem back then?”
by r1bias
Tuesday, July 24 2012, 8:43PM
“it 2 mile walk towards alborough so not in easy reach really so a bit of a hike before you reach them it still a good mile and a bit from the skull and cross bones flag on cliff so well out of reach of family with kids a long trek to put up ye wind break and have a bbq lol so you got to go well out ye way to get to them thats when you past the nudists too lol”
by Phil_melton
Tuesday, July 24 2012, 8:05PM
“i was there today belting weather! and a nice cool breeze! i didnt see anything today.”
by Eeebahgum
Tuesday, July 24 2012, 5:36PM
“They've put signs up, nothing more they can do. Doesn't seem to phase that family walking to the beach, although they'd be the first to complain if little Johnny found one and started playing Flash Gordon with it.”
by r1bias
Tuesday, July 24 2012, 1:15PM
“a bit over hyped i walk my dog regualry down that stretch and over 2 years of taking pics of that site i have never seen 1000 i even went yesterday and was 60 if that totally blown out of proportion as usual started with 500 now a 1000 what tabloids do to sell papers :-(
my photos was shown on itv news yesterday and that was the extent of the bombs not a 1000”
by kazeetiger67
Tuesday, July 24 2012, 9:00AM
“I'm no expert but 1000s of bombs fired into the cliffs must surely affect the coastal erosion, can't have been much fun for the residents neither having to listen to that daily.”
by rtyrty20
Tuesday, July 24 2012, 8:53AM
“How about a photo of the things HDM?”