Glasgow And Ships Of The Clyde

Gelignite cartridges recovered at Saltcoats beach

From "The Ardrossan & Saltcoats Herald" dated Friday 29th May 1970.

EXPLOSIVES WASHED UP ON BEACH

An area of the beach north of Saltcoats bathing pool was closed to the public for three hours last Thursday afternoon as Police and officials from I.C.I. Ardeer Factory combed the area for sticks of gelignite which had been washed ashore.

More than 200 sticks of gelignite which had been dumped in the sea by I.C.I. were recovered by the search party while Police cordoned off the area until it was decided it was safe.

A spokesman for I.C.I. Nobel Division said that the gelignite cartridges had been "drowned" in very deep water out in a designated area, but unusual conditions of storm and tide had caused them to be disturbed.

Staff from Ardeer had searched the shore after high tide last Friday and had retrieved the major number of cartridges which had been exposed to water and were not sensitive.

For several days the beach was surveyed to make sure it was safe, and on Sunday it was feared that more cartridges had been washed ashore when Ardrossan Police received a report that a metal cylinder had been seen on the north shore between Ardrossan and Seamill.
But when a Police Constable arrived he discovered that the object was just a used Naval hydroplane.