Dog lead ignited by suspected beach WW2 ordnance
BBCA man whose dog's lead caught fire from suspected WW2 ordnance has warned other beachgoers to be careful with washed up bottles.
Tony Lovell was on a morning walk along Crimdon Beach, Hartlepool, when he spotted a "nice looking bottle" which he thought he would clean at home.
He took the bottle's lid off and said it smelled "funny", started smoking and set fire to the lead.
The North East Ambulance Service (NEAS) confirmed its hazardous response team attended to check the patient, who was uninjured.
Lovell called emergency services when he got back to his caravan and was told to put his clothes in a bag outside before being medically examined.
He said: "I had to go to casualty just in case it was really bad chemicals.
"The fire people came out and bomb disposal later on, it sounds like it was something from World War Two."
At first Lovell had thought it was a gin bottle but then spotted an orange substance inside.
The lid was rusty and he planned to clean it when he got home but as he walked along he noticed the smell.
Lovell said: "I managed to take the lid off and a few minutes later my son said 'dad there's smoke coming off you.'
"I looked and there was smoke and flames coming off the dog lead I was holding so I threw it to the ground."
Durham Police confirmed experts from the army's bomb disposal unit safely disposed of the item in a controlled explosion.
Last month, about 150 phosphorous-based grenades used in WW2 were found on Crimdon Dene Beach but it is not known whether the new find is similar.
Marie LovellLovell said people should be cautious before picking up bottles on the beach as "you don't realise what could be in them".
He said: "It is quite scary that something from a conflict long ago is still having after effects."
NEAS said: "We dispatched one vehicle from our hazardous area response team and one patient was checked over and discharged at the scene."
