PART of the Hampshire coastline was cordoned off following the discovery of a suspected bomb.

Police say the object was found on the mile-long Hurst Spit, near Keyhaven, by someone who lives nearby.

The device was blown up by a bomb disposal team.

Writing on social media Lymington and New Milton Cops said: "Police cordoned off the spit and the Royal Navy Bomb Disposal Squad were called, conducting a controlled explosion."

Countless unexploded bombs and shells have been found at Hurst Spit over the years.

In 2017 a 100-metre exclusion zone was set up after a Howitzer shell - thought to date from the Victorian era - was discovered near the high-water mark.

The cordon meant people were unable to walk along the spit to reach historic Hurst Castle, which is open to the public.

A Royal Navy bomb disposal team from Portsmouth was called out to deal with the shell, thought to have been a practice round fired from the castle and washed ashore as a result of the Storm Brian.

A coastguard spokesman said it was found by a member of the public who was walking along the shingle spit at about 9am.

Parts of Hurst Castle are almost 500 years old.

The oldest section of the fortification was built between 1541 and 1544. Its job was to guard the Needles Passage, the port of Southampton and the growing naval base in Portsmouth.

It was also used as a prison and famously housed King Charles 1 before he was taken to London for his trial and execution.