Where did huge ‘pipes’ come from?

BEACH boffins have been left baffled by mystery metal ‘pipes’ that washed up in eastern Sidmouth.

The huge rusted entities appeared near Pennington Point – and experts don’t know where they came from.

District council officers visited the scene on Wednesday and have asked a contractor to remove the items at the next low tide.

A council spokesman said: “These are not the usual South West Water outfall pipes that are exposed at low tides sometimes – and often generate this type of call.

“They appear to be long, steel pipes which have washed up recently.

“We don’t know where they are from and won’t be able to establish their origin. They are safe at the moment and aren’t causing any particular hazard.”

Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) spokeswoman Fiona Warren added: “We’re experiencing equinox spring tides which uncover the sea bed and things get washed up that wouldn’t normally be seen.”

She added that a fishing boat owner this week reported snagging a net on what could have been a sunken container from the MSC Napoli. She said the MCA put out shipping broadcast on this situation and an expert had been tasked to investigate.