Reports of a bomb on a beach turned out to be a car part.

Sheppey Coastguard was sent to Leysdown at 4pm on Friday after receiving reports of suspected ordnance from the RNLI.

It was one of a few call-outs for officers from over the weekend and when they examined the item, it turned out to be a part from a Fiat.

They were also diverted from the Leysdown Carnival to help search the Warden Point area.

It followed reports of two sightings of flares near the Red Sands Towers at about 3.30pm on Saturday.

Officers assisted the lifeboat crew to search between Sheerness and the towers, along with an RAF rescue helicopter and RNLI boats from Southend and Whitstable.

Nothing untoward was found.

The lifeboat then launched at 4.35pm to a speedboat which had broken down off Eastchurch Gap due to engine failure.

There were three people on-board who were towed to the Kingsferry Bridge where coastguard officers met them.