Excitement over a newly discovered bomb shell quickly died down this week, after the bomb experts who retrieved it determined that it was a piece of pottery rather than a wartime relic. 

Veċċja Point in St Paul's Bay was a bustle of activity on Monday evening when swimmers spotted what they believed could be an unexploded bomb sitting on the bottom of the seafloor. 

They quickly reported the find to the authorities, and members of the police and specialised AFM divers were quickly diverted to the area to investigate. 

Witnesses told Times of Malta that members of the AFM carried out a dive to retrieve the suspected bomb. 

A police spokesperson later confirmed with Times of Malta that on Monday evening, around 7.30 pm, the Armed Forces of Malta Explosive Ordnance Disposal team was dispatched to Xemxija. 

Police and divers from the Explosive Ordnance Disposal team were on site to retrieve what they believed to be a bomb. Credit: Ishmael Cocker

The object retrieved, a long, cylindrical and hollow thing, was initially suspected to be a bomb, possibly a shell dating back to World War 2, given that it appeared to be hollow. 

However, after members of the EOD had time to examine the find, it transpired that it had not been a bomb at all. 

"Upon investigation, it was determined that the object was made of pottery and did not contain any explosive material," an AFM spokesperson told Times of Malta in reply to questions. 

It is not the first time that explosive devices have been discovered around Malta's waters. 

In 2021 a beach in Marsaxlokk had to be evacuated after what turned out to be an unexploded war bomb washed up on the sand. 

Just a year prior, a 15-year-old boy caused panic in Birkirkara after he found two small World War 2 bombs and took them home.