A cordon has been set up at a Devon beach after a suspected bomb washed up on the shore.

Witnesses said the beach in Beer, near Seaton, was evacuated at about 16:00 BST following the discovery on Sunday afternoon.

Martin Richards, from Beer Parish Council, said it was believed a shell casing had washed up on the beach and he urged people to stay away from the area while emergency services dealt with the incident.

The BBC has contacted the Ministry of Defence, Devon and Cornwall Police and HM Coastguard for further information.

Fiona Garnett, 52, had been on the beach with friends and family when they were all asked to leave the area.

“My girls were swimming in the sea when a man came down saying he’d found what might be an unexploded bomb on the beach,” she said.

Ms Garnett added the beach and the public gardens above it were evacuated.

“The emergency services were there quite quickly, which does fill you with confidence as they were taking it seriously,” she said.

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