A GUN shell was found in the garden of a beach-side caravan.

A member of the public at Freshwater Holiday Park at Burton Bradstock reported the item at around 1.39pm on Thursday.

Details were taken and advice was given to keep well clear.

As the item was above the High Water mark, responsibility for its subsequent co-ordination and safe disposal was passed to Dorset Police.

A spokesperson for Dorset Police confirmed they had received a report at around 1.45pm.

She said: "The immediate area was evacuated and a cordon was put in place.

"We got in contact with the EOD and the shell appeared to be an old, rusty, large unspent shell.

"The EOD arrived at about 4pm. They picked up the item and took it away."

Elsewhere, the skipper of a 36ft yacht reported his vessel was held fast by a rope around the propeller.

The yacht was near to Anvil Point whilst on a delivery passage from Weymouth to Portsmouth with two people on board.

The skipper made a Pan Pan broadcast at around 2.08pm.

As no response to a Pan Pan Relay broadcast was received and the yacht in the interim had become free from the sea bed but still entangled, Swanage RNLI Lifeboat was requested to launch.

The lifeboat towed the yacht to a safe mooring off Swanage.

Earlier that afternoon, the owner of an 18ft Shetland motor-cruiser called Gordie Shore reported that his vessel had broken down in Weymouth Bay.

Local vessel X Dream responded to a call for assistance at around 1.44pm and towed the motor-cruiser and its two occupants to safety in Portland Marina.

Meanwhile, two occupants of a 34ft yacht called Moonbeat called to report they had suffered a steering failure on a passage to Lymington.

Sea Start 6 arrived and towed the yacht to its destination at around 11.42am.

At the beginning of the day, reports emerged of an empty dinghy drifting near to West Bay Harbour.

The crew of the fishing vessel Trace Sea reported the sighting on VHF at around 10.49am.

Extensive enquiries, including broadcasts, were made to establish where the craft had come from or whether any persons were at risk but without satisfactory outcome.

The fishing vessel towed the dinghy into West Bay, where they were met by West Bay Coastguard Rescue Officers.