TWO unexploded shells which were 'lost' by police have been returned to the sea.

Hampshire Constabulary put out an urgent appeal after the shells, one of which was described as unstable and potentially dangerous, disappeared from the beach at Hurst Spit on Thursday night.

They were found by a window cleaner and police cordoned off the scene but they went missing overnight.

Now the tale has taken another bizarre turn as the constabulary has announced that the shells are once again in the sea.

A statement says: "Further enquiries have now established that a member of the public returned the two items into the sea in an area not regularly used by bathers.

"We have carried out an assessment of this location and any risk posed by these objects to the public is low."