There was an explosion on the banks of the Helford River this morning after a fisherman near Falmouth found something unexpected with his lobster pots.

Bomb disposal experts carried out a controlled detonation of a piece of discarded ordnance, which had originally been located near Gyllyngvase Beach.

Falmouth Coastguard Rescue Team were the first on the scene, following a report of a suspected phorphorus device just after 8am.

A team spokesperson said: "On scene, we found a local fisherman had dragged the device up while tending lobster pots. He'd very sensibly placed it into a crate and left it in the water.

"We were able to quickly identify it as a phosphorus smoke and flame marker."

The coastguard called the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit (EODU) which was dispatched from Plymouth, while coastguard team volunteers we closed off one end of the beach.

Once EODU arrived they identified that the device had misfired, and advised a controlled explosion, before a convoy took the ordnance to "a quiet beach near to the Helford," and closing off a nearby footpath.

If you find anything like this washed up the coastline, don't touch it, but call the coastguard on 999.