DISCARDED clothes left on a Shoebury beach sparked a search - but it was part of a religious ceremony.

Police officers were alerted after a member of the public found clothes and a mobile phone on Shoebury beach on Saturday afternoon.

There were initial concerns the clothes and the water-damaged phone belonged to a missing person.

But an Essex Police spokesman confirmed it was thought the items belonged to a person taking part in a baptism ceremony on the beach.

The Southend RNLI volunteer lifeboat crew mounted a search at 3.40pm yesterday after the find on the beach near to Uncle Tom’s Cabin at Shoebury’s West Beach.

The Inshore lifeboat searched the area assisted by Southend Coastguard units on the shore.

The Southend lifeboat was launched from the pierhead boathouse to assist and the search and rescue helicopter based at Lydd, in Kent was also requested.

All units were stood down when CCTV footage confirmed people were seen leaving the area and coastguards were happy that no one was missing.