Officers have issued an urgent warning after a suspected wartime shell was found in Dartford and subsequently went missing.

The item was found by a person fishing in a river near Overy Street, but after being left on a wall it then disappeared before police attended.

Police were called to the area at 5.40pm yesterday and a video of the item was sent to the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit, who believed the item could be a wartime shell.

At around a metre long and with a cylindrical shape, the suspected shell was left in a location near to the river until police arrived, but when officers arrived at 5.52pm they could not locate it, despite extensive checks at the scene.

Kent Police Inspector Shona Lowndes said: "Explosive experts have not yet had the opportunity to inspect and assess whether this item is harmless or poses any dangers.

"We cannot discount that someone may have picked it up and perhaps taken it home or left it somewhere else. Anyone who has had contact with this item, or knows of its whereabouts, is urged to contact police immediately."

Anyone with information should call Kent Police on 101, quoting reference 22-0969.

Read more: all the latest news from Dartford.