COASTGUARDS were called out to identify a mystery object on the beach below Black Ven today.

The Lyme Regis Coastguard team was tasked to reports of possible ordnance on Black Ven beach at 12.48pm this afternoon.

The initial sighting had been reported on social media the previous day. The team searched for an hour and a half in the pouring rain but were unable to locate the suspect item. A spokesman for the Lyme Regis Coastguard said that this was likely to be because of the elapsed time and the storm in the intervening time.

They added: "If you see or find something on the coast that causes you concern, please call 999 or 112 immediately and ask for the coastguard.

"If you suspect that an object might be dangerous, retreat to a safe position beforehand. The Coastguard or police will always come out to meet you to get further details. Posts on social media are not monitored by the emergency services."

The coastguard recommends using a smartphone app such as What3Words to provide an accurate location of any incident.

For emergencies at sea, on cliffs, rivers, mud, harbours and beaches call 999 and ask for the coastguard.