BOMB disposal experts say a device which washed up on Irvine Beach today is not an explosive.

Despite reports from other news sources, the Times has been told that explosive experts from the Royal Navy were on the beach today and discovered the devices were actually just three very old and eroded gas cannisters.

Ardrossan Coastguard were also on the scene and had set up a 50metre cordon while the Navy carried out investigations, and said previous unfounded reports of an ‘explosive device’ being found were wrong.

Kevin Paterson from the Coastguard said: “We can confirm the devices found were absolutely not explosives and posed no threat whatsoever to the public.

“The were just three very old gas cannisters. They had been in the sea for a long time so it was difficult at first to see what they were. But we can confirm they are not dangerous and definitely not explosive.”

Billy Lamb, from Irvine’s Coastwatch team added: “These things tend to get washed up on shore when there has been a storm. It happens all the time.”