Clifftop collapse at holiday park unveils unexploded bomb hidden in the sand

26 November 2023 , 17:56

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An unexploded bomb was found on a beach in East Suffolk (Image: Stephen Huntley/HVC)

An unexploded bomb that was hidden in the sand has been discovered on a beach near a Suffolk holiday park after parts of the clifftop collapsed.

Several people were evacuated from their caravans at Pakefield Holiday Park in Lowestoft late on Friday due to reports of coastal erosion, with the coastguard saying the beach at the bottom of the steps at Arbor Lane had "mostly washed away" and was "a dangerous place to be". At around 12.20pm on Saturday, a member of the public discovered an unexploded bomb on the beach, a few hundreds metres away.

Leon Crossman, 34, said he spotted the suspected World War Two bomb near another holiday park, Pontins, and alerted the emergency services. He said: "You couldn't miss it." HM Coastguard teams were sent to help East Suffolk Council and Suffolk Police - and a controlled explosion was carried out.

A controlled explosion was carried out (Stephen Huntley/HVC)

The device was found hours after the coastguard urged people to stay away from the beach and confirmed that some caravans from Pakefield Holiday Park were evacuated as they were "dangerously close" to the edge. The coastguard said it would monitor the situation over the weekend.

In a statement shared on social media on Friday night, it said: "The team were tasked tonight, along with a Fire Officer from Suffolk Fire & Rescue Service, to assess the situation at Pakefield Holiday Park, Arbor Lane, as this afternoon, a section of the road in front of the clifftop caravans collapsed onto the beach below. Some of the vans are now dangerously close to the edge and several people have been evacuated.

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"The beach at the bottom of the steps at Arbor Lane, has now mostly washed away. There is now a drop onto what's left of the beach. We have cordoned off the steps this evening. The relevant organisations have been informed."

The caravan park was evacuated following the collapse of a cliff edge (Stephen Huntley/HVC)

It added: "Please do not use the steps at Arbor Lane until the authorities have had a chance to act. The beach there is now a dangerous place to be. Please keep well away. PLEASE DO NOT WALK ALONG THE BASE OF THE CLIFFS. Some poor quality photos are attached showing just how much beach has washed away."

A spokesman at East Suffolk Council said: "Overnight storm conditions have led to further erosion of the cliffs at Pakefield. The relevant authorities are addressing the impacts, and affected areas have been cordoned off as the extent of any damage is assessed.

"Known damage which affects ordinary access includes the steps down to the beach at Arbor Lane. Therefore, people are asked to avoid the area and stay away from locations which may still be vulnerable. There may be debris and the possibility of further collapse and public safety is a priority."

A clifftop collapsed after high tides and winds on Friday (Stephen Huntley/HVC)

Earlier this year, we reported that coastal communities are living in fear that every new storm could be the one that will send their home plummeting into the sea. Erosion accelerated by global warming could wipe out £600million worth of coastal homes in 21 communities in England by the end of the century, a climate action group warned.

One Home has produced a map showing the most at-risk areas and those that will not be fortified. Chief Angela Terry said: "Sea levels are rising as global temperatures soar and so larger waves batter our coast during severe storms.

"These irreversible changes mean some cliff faces are crumbling fast. We can’t turn the tide or build a wall around the entire coast, so we urgently need to help seaside communities to prepare for the damage that will come."

Chiara Fiorillo