Bomb disposal experts to undertake 'painstaking' operation to clear explosives from Essex coast

Bomb disposal experts are to carry out a special mission to clear unexploded ordnance buried along a section of coastline.

The painstaking operation will locate and remove bombs and will get under way before work begins on a huge flood prevention project.

The Ministry of Defence is set to embark on the third phase of a project to improve sea defences in Shoebury and Foulness Island in Essex.

The area is close to a weapons testing facility and for decades unexploded ordnance has been left buried in the sand.

The area is not open to the public, but land beyond the ranges could potentially flood if the repairs are not carried out.

Qinetiq, which manages the ranges, said: "We, with our contractors, have undertaken a detailed review and risk managed all planned works with respect to unexploded ordnance and have agreed with the specialist contractors a mitigation strategy and methodology that will identify all the key risks.

"This will allow and enable suitable response procedures to reduce the risk to construction workers, excavating plant used or sea defence structures from any encounter with unexploded ordnance throughout the works."

Peter Lovett, vice-chairman of Shoebury Residents Association, welcomed the move.

He said: "Anything they do in that area to protect it is so important to Shoebury because that's where it all came from in the 1953 floods. It definitely needs improving to protect us all.

"We are all for it, though we don't know much because it's typical secret service."

Though the explosives targeted in the latest operation are from a specialist facility, bombs dropped during Second World War air raids are still causing problems.

In February homes were evacuated in Great Yarmouth after a large bomb was found close to Bollard Quay in the town, during work to build a new river crossing.

The metre-long device was eventually destroyed after a three-day operation.

A map detailing thousands of air raids was compiled by the University of York back in 2019.

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