Highcliffe beach 'bomb' was an item of 'rubbish'

Image source, Google

Image caption, The beach was sealed off on Saturday

A potential unexploded bomb which resulted in a 400m stretch of a beach being cordoned off by police later turned out to be an item of "rubbish".

Dorset Police took a call from the coastguard after a 20cm metal cylinder was found on Highcliffe Beach at around 13:30 GMT on Saturday.

Officers later said it was not ordnance but "appeared to to be rubbish".

The object was taken to Christchurch police station, where it was due to be collected by the local authority.

The cordon was lifted by 16:30.