WARDENS have been placed on alert after nails were found hidden just under the surface of a beach in Poole.

The two-inch nails were found by a 10-year-old girl in the sand at Canford Cliffs near the beach huts.

Up to 100 nails were discovered by Evie Chisnall whilst playing with her friends and family on Sunday afternoon.

Evie was unhurt and found the nails whilst digging and building sandcastles.

Following the incident, Poole Cllr Mohan Iyengar said: "We take these thing very seriously. All of the wardens are on alert and have been since we were made aware of this. We remain vigilant. It's a public safety issue."

Her father Alex Chisnall said he was left in "shock" when his daughter told him about the sharp objects, which he then removed before leaving the Blue Flag certified beach.

Mr Chisnall explained that he was concerned his children could have been injured whilst playing, as they were practicing cartwheels and dancing before the discovery.

He said he was surprised that the nails were not very deep in the sand, adding that his daughters could have suffered a "ridiculous injury" if punctured by them.

The family found wood nearby and it is suspected that the nails may have come from that. The wood was burnt, so it is possible that it was used in a fire the day before. However, Mr Chisnall says where the nails came from and why they were there is "mysterious".

Peter Ryan, founder and organiser of Dorset Devils, a community initiative set up to help keep the area clean, said: "It's something we don't like to see. It's a great shame because we want the beach to look good, but be safe at all times for users. We don't want things swept under the carpet - or the surface.

"We are concerned by the open fires at the beach and they are barbecues galore. That's fine if they're dealt with, but not if they cause injury to children. It's totally unnecessary."

Mr Ryan says it is down to the beachgoers rather than the council to make sure they are taking their rubbish home and not leaving dangerous objects in the sand.

A spokesperson for Poole Borough Council's Beach Team said: "Poole’s beaches are regularly raked and inspected. No reports of this nature were received over the weekend, but we would urge anyone who finds potentially dangerous items on the beach to report this to the nearest beach office or warden so that it can be addressed straight away, and other wardens along our coastline can be made aware of any issue."

Mr Chisnall is planning to report the incident to the council today.