Fossil hunters are being urged to leave 'well alone' pieces of ordnance that have washed up on north Norfolk beaches.

Cromer and Sheringham Coastguard said on Facebook: 'With this current bad weather we are now getting old pieces of ordnance washing up on the beaches of North Norfolk. Fossil hunters please don't take items which could be ordnance off the beach, leave well alone and call the coastguard on 999.'

It comes after a section of Winterton beach was cordoned off on Wednesday, January 3, after the discovery of what was believed to be an unexploded bomb.

A spokesman for the coastguard said: 'We were first alerted to a suspicious item on Tuesday evening, however, it did not surface. It was then found again on Wednesday afternoon, having washed up on the beach.'

The Ministry of Defence was alerted and a bomb disposal team from Portsmouth was despatched.