Mystery items on beach lead to false alarm search

A missing person search took place at Tynemouth on Thursday night

Mystery items found on a beach led to a coastguard search for a missing person, but it was called off when the pile turned out to have been stolen and discarded.

Tynemouth Volunteer Life Brigade (TVLB), as well as Blyth Coastguard Rescue Team and the Cullercoats RNLI, were called to search for a missing person off the coast of Tynemouth on Thursday night.

It followed reports from a group of university students who had found unattended belongings on the beach, according to TVLB.

Meanwhile, Northumbria Police attended the home address of the person linked to the items and fortunately found them in bed.

The person told them the bag had been stolen earlier in the day, said TVLB.

A spokesperson said: "At this point all rescue resources were stood down, with the belongings passed to the police to be returned to the owner."