FOUR World War II mortars were discovered at a beach near Lymington during work to remove anti-tank defences.

The shells, believed to be spigot mortars, were found at Hordle Cliff beach on Wednesday.

No munitions have previously been found on this beach during New Forest District Council’s (NFDC) works to remove the wartime defences over the last nine years.

When the mortars were found by contractors, work was halted and the public prevented from accessing the area.

The coastguard was immediately informed and arrived on site. They cordoned off the ordnance and surrounding area of the beach. An Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team from Portsmouth attended the site early the next morning.

One mortar was detonated safely on the beach and the devices recovered were removed from the site to be disposed of.

Steve Cook, NFDC’s coastal and public facilities manager, said: “Discoveries like this are not unusual on the south coast, although this is the first time we have found ordnance during our works at Hordle Cliff.

“We have clear procedures in place to protect our workers and the public which were followed. The coastguard has now removed the cordons but we will continue to take sensible precautions during the works.

“Members of the public using the beach are asked to be vigilant, and if they see anything of concern they should call 999 and ask for the coastguard.”

Work to remove the most prominent sections of World War II defences has since resumed.

The jagged metal defences, known as Admiralty scaffolding, are partially buried in the sand at Hordle Cliff, just below the waterline, but emerge periodically due to erosion caused by rough weather.

The council has been taking advantage of spring tides to remove some of the defences.

The work is being carried out by Kevin Coghlan Plant and Transport Ltd, on behalf of the council, using two 21 tonne excavators, one fitted with a long arm reach, and a dump truck. Work is initially focussed on sections of the beach where the material is most extensive.

Small sections of the beach will be closed off while work is carried out, but people can still walk the length of the beach along the upper section.

The council has previously surveyed the beach and used divers to identify the locations of the underwater metalwork and install warning buoys. Signs have been in place and the public has been warned not to swim.

The survey results have been supplied to Citizan (Coastal and Intertidal Zone Archaeology Network) and the New Forest National Park Authority archaeologist, ensuring a record is kept of this historically significant relic.

Further removal of the defences is scheduled for the next spring tide from April 24.