A live German sea mine from World War Two has washed up on the Sussex coast.
Bomb disposal teams inspected the device and work is taking place to make it safe while the tides allow access near Bognor Regis, Sussex Police said.
The large metal device measures about 6ft and is thought to weigh about 1,000kg. Residents nearby have been alerted.
WW2 German sea mine washes up near Bognor Regis
BBC News
20 May 2018
Paul Austin found the device about 500 yards from his front door
A live German sea mine from World War Two has washed up on the Sussex coast.
Bomb disposal teams inspected the device and work is taking place to make it safe while the tides allow access near Bognor Regis, Sussex Police said.
The large metal device measures about 6ft and is thought to weigh about 1,000kg. Residents nearby have been alerted.
The coastguard said it was likely the mine would be towed out to sea and detonated.
A one-mile maritime and air exclusion zone is in force and coastguards are broadcasting to vessels in the area.
Sussex Police said the device was found in the water off Elmer Beach.
Residents nearby have been advised to leave their windows open and use only the rear part of their premises.
Operations have been taking place through the night
Paul Austin, who found the device and alerted emergency services on Saturday, said when he looked at it closely, it was "quite clearly a weapon".
He had been walking on the beach with a friend when he saw the object and noticed it had a propeller, or a fin, and a cone nose.
'Biggest Nazi bomb'
"At first it looked like a big oil drum. I didn't think it was a bomb," he said.
"We were almost standing on it, but then we stepped away.
"I said 'let's throw stones at it' as a joke. But then I thought - actually, that's a torpedo or a bomb."
He said he had since talked to emergency teams and learned it was one of the biggest bombs the Nazis ever produced.
The device is about 500 yards from his front door, he added.
Mr Austin said he was not worried about an explosion, because he believed most of the impact would be taken by Elmer's sea defences.
He said he was also struck by how it would have been used in the war, and added: "If that went up, and it's full of TNT, it would have taken a lot of people with it."
Police are working with bomb disposal experts
Residents have been told to keep their windows open as a precautionary measure in case of an explosion, police said.
Just the noise from a blast can break windows, but allowing air to flow through can prevent glass shattering, officers explained.
No homes have been evacuated at this stage.
Ch Supt Jane Derrick said the force was talking to military ordnance teams and following their advice about safe areas.
She said: "The situation is being kept under careful review and further action to ensure the public remain safe will be taken if necessary."
Other members of the public are being asked to avoid the Elmer Beach area, whether for using the beach, swimming or sailing.
Coastguards said the device could be detonated at sea
Coastguard teams from Littlehampton and Selsey have set up a cordon around the area.
A statement said: "HM Coastguard are broadcasting to vessels in the area to avoid the immediate vicinity of Elmer Beach while the operation to dispose of the sea mine continues.
"It is likely that the mine will be towed out to sea for detonation."
A spokeswoman for the coastguard said timings were unpredictable with ordnance, but the sea mine could be towed out later, between 16:00 and 19:00 BST.
WW2 German sea mine washes up near Bognor Regis - BBC News
Bomb disposal teams inspected the device and work is taking place to make it safe while the tides allow access near Bognor Regis, Sussex Police said.
The large metal device measures about 6ft and is thought to weigh about 1,000kg. Residents nearby have been alerted.
WW2 German sea mine washes up near Bognor Regis
BBC News
20 May 2018
Paul Austin found the device about 500 yards from his front door
A live German sea mine from World War Two has washed up on the Sussex coast.
Bomb disposal teams inspected the device and work is taking place to make it safe while the tides allow access near Bognor Regis, Sussex Police said.
The large metal device measures about 6ft and is thought to weigh about 1,000kg. Residents nearby have been alerted.
The coastguard said it was likely the mine would be towed out to sea and detonated.
A one-mile maritime and air exclusion zone is in force and coastguards are broadcasting to vessels in the area.
Sussex Police said the device was found in the water off Elmer Beach.
Residents nearby have been advised to leave their windows open and use only the rear part of their premises.
Operations have been taking place through the night
Paul Austin, who found the device and alerted emergency services on Saturday, said when he looked at it closely, it was "quite clearly a weapon".
He had been walking on the beach with a friend when he saw the object and noticed it had a propeller, or a fin, and a cone nose.
'Biggest Nazi bomb'
"At first it looked like a big oil drum. I didn't think it was a bomb," he said.
"We were almost standing on it, but then we stepped away.
"I said 'let's throw stones at it' as a joke. But then I thought - actually, that's a torpedo or a bomb."
He said he had since talked to emergency teams and learned it was one of the biggest bombs the Nazis ever produced.
The device is about 500 yards from his front door, he added.
Mr Austin said he was not worried about an explosion, because he believed most of the impact would be taken by Elmer's sea defences.
He said he was also struck by how it would have been used in the war, and added: "If that went up, and it's full of TNT, it would have taken a lot of people with it."
Police are working with bomb disposal experts
Residents have been told to keep their windows open as a precautionary measure in case of an explosion, police said.
Just the noise from a blast can break windows, but allowing air to flow through can prevent glass shattering, officers explained.
No homes have been evacuated at this stage.
Ch Supt Jane Derrick said the force was talking to military ordnance teams and following their advice about safe areas.
She said: "The situation is being kept under careful review and further action to ensure the public remain safe will be taken if necessary."
Other members of the public are being asked to avoid the Elmer Beach area, whether for using the beach, swimming or sailing.
Coastguards said the device could be detonated at sea
Coastguard teams from Littlehampton and Selsey have set up a cordon around the area.
A statement said: "HM Coastguard are broadcasting to vessels in the area to avoid the immediate vicinity of Elmer Beach while the operation to dispose of the sea mine continues.
"It is likely that the mine will be towed out to sea for detonation."
A spokeswoman for the coastguard said timings were unpredictable with ordnance, but the sea mine could be towed out later, between 16:00 and 19:00 BST.
WW2 German sea mine washes up near Bognor Regis - BBC News