Watch as Royal Navy detonate ‘suspicious item’ on Edinburgh’s Portobello Beach

Edinburgh’s Portobello Beach was locked down by police after a “suspicious item” was found around 9.50am on Tuesday.

A police cordon was erected opposite the junction of Kings Road and Kings Place while the item was investigated by a Royal Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) unit.

The item was found to be unexploded wartime munition and a Police Scotland spokesperson assured “there is no threat to the wider public”.

The EOD performed a controlled explosion to remove any danger posed, after which the police cordon was lifted and the beach reopened.

Locals flocked to social media to share their surprise at the police and military presence, with one reportedly witnessing the detonation.

Controlled explosion on Portobello Beach pic.twitter.com/p0ZzysBTUB

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Last weekend police were called to the beach after three teenagers were stabbed nearby which resulted in a large section of the beach and promenade being cordoned off through Saturday night and Sunday.

Yesterday (April 16), bomb squads were called out to a different Edinburgh neighbourhood, Craigentinny, after reports of a “potentially suspicious item”.

Police Scotland examined the item and determined it to pose no threat to the public and was not suspicious.

EOD teams had previously been seen operating in the Pleasance/High School Yards area as part of a multi-day investigation into “non-hazardous substances” that were found in a building on the Pleasance road in January.

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