Stop letting your children play on MoD firing range, parents warned

A warning sign at the Shoeburyness Range
A warning sign at the Shoeburyness Range - AVPICS/ALAMY

Parents have been told to stop letting their children play on a Ministry of Defence (MoD) firing range.

Southend Coastguard said increasing numbers of small children have been spotted digging amongst the mudflats by Shoeburyness Range. The site is used to test weapons systems and detonate explosive ordnance such as mines.

The coastguard warned that, along with children, more and more unlicensed oyster pickers, bait diggers and metal detectorists are walking along the wetlands despite the numerous warning signs posted on the seawall.

The beach and foreshore are owned by the MoD and run by contractor QinetiQ.

QinetiQ said it was deploying amphibious vehicles to catch any trespassers wandering the area, which is closed off to the public.

In a post on X, formerly Twitter, the company said: “Anyone encountered by our patrols will be asked to leave. Please cooperate for your safety. Fines are applicable.”

In a statement on Facebook, Southend Coastguard said it felt the need to again highlight the “items” that could be found at the site after an increase in “families taking their children in this very area”.

The beach at Shoeburyness
The beach at Shoeburyness - MIKE BOOTH/ALAMY

It said: “Southend Coastguard has dealt with a number of items of various types of ordnance over the years, some which needed to be detonated by our Army/Navy EOD [Explosive Ordnance Disposal] teams in situ, some stable enough to be taken away for destruction and some which were now deemed harmless.

“Because these items can be so dangerous, if you ever see something suspicious or out of the ordinary on the beach or in the sea, do not touch it, move it or take it home.”

MoD Shoeburyness has been a weapons testing site for more than 170 years, covers 9,300 acres and employs about 300 people.

An MoD spokesman said public safety was taken “very seriously”.

“While the risk of encountering unexploded ordnance washed up along the coast remains low, the risk is increased when trespassing on MOD-owned land.

“We ask the public to respect the signage and fencing that has been erected to keep them safe, and remind them that those caught trespassing may be subject to fines.”