Latest beach bomb leads to calls for safety initiative

Latest beach bomb leads to calls for safety initiative

24 February 2016

AN army bomb disposal team carried out a controlled explosion on a WW2 mortar which was found on Thursday on Murlough beach, near Dundrum.

The two inch mortar was found by a walker around 5pm about a mile on the Newcastle side of Murlough House. It is believed it had been washed ashore in recent storms and is part of a huge cache of munitions which was dumped in a deep sea trench in the Irish Sea after the Second World War.

The bomb disposal team could not blow up the device after dark so the PSNI mounted a guard at the scene throughout the night until the army experts returned at 6.30am. 

Members of Newcastle Coastguard team secured the beach until the bomb disposal team detonated the controlled explosion just after 7.15am.

South Down MLA Chris Hazzard has expressed concern that munitions are being regularly washed ashore on east Down beaches and has called for a public awareness drive to educate the public on what to look out for and what to do if someone suspects they have found a device.

The munitions which have been washed ashore are believed to have come from a huge consignment of tens of thousands of tonnes of munitions which were dumped in a deep sea trench in the middle of the Irish Sea after the end of the second World War.

“Following the finding of yet another live mortar round on a beach at Dundrum I am concerned more and more live ammunition is being washed up, especially after periods of bad weather.

“Someone will be killed or seriously injured if this continues and steps need to be taken to prevent further incidents. 

 “The British Government needs to take responsibility for removing its discarded war materials from Irish waters. 

“I have also raised a related issue concerning phosphorous blocks washing ashore. These blocks, once used for lighting ships’ boilers, present danger to anyone who comes into contact with them so I have asked the Department of the Environment to create a public awareness campaign around the danger they pose,” he said.