Coastguard officials were called after a father and son discovered what is thought to be a bomb on a beach in Reculver.

James Crouch was with four-year-old Freddie when they came across the strange object.

He told KentOnline "We went down there late this afternoon at about 5pm on the beach next to Reculver Drive.

"We walked down there to do some crabbing, but we spotted this cylindrical shape that stood out among the small rocks.

"It was mechanical and had obviously been there a long time because there were barnacles on it. We looked at it and thought it could be a bomb.

"We went to speak to the Herne Bay Coastguard and the person we spoke to said he'd call someone to find out what it was.

"By the time we left it had been covered up by the tide; so who knows what's going to happen to it.

"To me, it looked like a bomb, but I'm no expert.

"We literally stood over it; we were right next to it. If it was a bomb, that's pretty scary because it was close to the shore.

"It's bizarre and quite strange."