What the wind brought ashore in Whitstable

Coastguards were scratching their heads on West Beach this morning over something rather large brought in by last night's gales.

As our photos show, the object was a very long piece of pipe or tubing with a yellow buoy at one end.

The most popular theories were that it had been swept towards land from either the Kentish Flats windfarm, or from a dredger far out to sea.

The coastguards lashed it to a groyne near the Old Neptune pub to stop it from floating back out and becoming a shipping hazard.

Meanwhile the stormy seas kept fishermen ashore, and Phil Edwards posted a notice telling customers he will not be selling fish from the quayside this weekend.

• The strong winds are forecast to ease this weekend, but look likely to return Monday/Tuesday, according to the Met Office.
• The temperature, however, is expected to plummet below freezing point tonight and tomorrow night, and Kent Highways say they are gritting all primary roads.