Bomb disposal experts have blown up 26 shells which had lain hidden on a beach at Eastbourne and were exposed by recent storms and tides.

Royal Navy ordnance specialists carried out four controlled explosions to make the Second World War artillery shells safe.

Petty Officer Jess Owen was lowered down the 200ft cliff, near Beachy Head, by coastguard officers to deal with the dangerous find.

He moved the 18in shells, which weighed 25lbs each, away from the fragile cliffs to the water's edge, where he buried them in sandbags and detonated them.

Royal Navy spokesman John Parris said: "The shells were very close to the cliff. So, remembering what happened at Dover this week when a large section of the cliff fell, we did not want that to happen at Beachy Head at this dodgy time of year when the rocks are in danger of cracking through frost."

Mr Parris said he had talked to Petty Officer Owen: "He said there was quite a large explosion with bits of shell, sandbag, rock and sand whizzing everywhere.

"He did report that some chalk from the cliffs was dislodged but it was nothing to cause concern."

Sussex Police enforced a one-mile exclusion zone while the operation was carried out and closed the road between Beachy Head and Birling Gap while the explosions took place.

Six of the shells had been discovered by passers-by on Friday afternoon.

The explosives had been exposed by winter storms and tidal movements which had swept away the sand and rock covering them.