Inverclyde Now Logo TALKBACK — Alarm Was Raised About The Same ‘Bomb-Shaped’ Object At Wemyss Bay In 2007

15 June, 2020 | Features

READER Tam Nugent reveals he also reported the Wemyss Bay ‘torpedo’ — 13 years ago, almost to day.

Regarding the Wemyss Bay ‘Torpedo’ Alert story, I thought this was a ‘looking back’ article when I read it at first.

Thirteen years ago almost to the day (Friday 15 June 2007), I reported the same object in the same location to the police, who in turn alerted the coastguard and the bomb disposal squad. The road was closed off until the bomb squad revealed that it was in fact part of the keel of a yacht.

After I reported it to the police, someone from HM Coastguard called me to discuss the object and, based on the description that I gave him (about a metre long, rocket shaped, with fins and a nose cone, almost like a Buzz Lightyear rocket) and the photo I sent, decided that it was indeed suspicious and warranted inspection by the bomb squad.

Two police officers came to my house and I showed them the photo, which they agreed looked suspicious. They drove me down to the site, by which time the tide had come in, but I was able to show them the location from the sea wall.

One of the police officers kindly followed up afterwards and explained that the bomb squad arrived later in the day when the tide had gone out and declared it harmless and explained what it was.

To me it looks more like a large artillery shell than a torpedo.

I’m pretty shocked to learn that it was not removed from the beach at that time and wonder how much wasted time and effort could have been avoided on Friday if it had been.

Hopefully this time it really will be removed and properly disposed off so that we do not have a similar occurrence in another thirteen years’ time.

Best regards, Tam Nugent, Inverkip

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