Delivery van 'stuck on deadliest mudflat footpath'

A delivery van appeared to be stuck on mudflats, which locals described as the "deadliest footpath in Britain".

HM Coastguard Southend said it was called out to reports on Sunday of an Amazon delivery vehicle on The Broomway, at Great Wakering, Essex, after the driver had been following a GPS route to Foulness Island.

The Broomway is a route across flat sands from the shore near Southend-on-Sea to Foulness Island and is home to a Ministry of Defence firing range.

Amazon said it was "aware" of the situation and was "investigating".

The route, said to be 600 years old covering six miles (10km), is managed by Qinetiq - a global defence and security company - which describes the area as a "unique right of way which requires both caution and specialist knowledge to negotiate safely".

However, the route is not for vehicles, and people are advised to only walk there accompanied by a guide who knows the mudflats.

According to parish council records, 100 people have died on The Broomway, with the last known death in 1919.

The coastguard said it had spoken to a Qinetiq security officer who said the incident had taken place on Saturday evening and that the driver had "removed themselves from the van and reported the incident to Amazon".

It said the vehicle had already been there during high tide and that, alongside a farmer, Amazon arranged to remove the vehicle on Sunday.

Coastguard officers were stood down from the incident after the occupants of the van were confirmed to be safe and the vehicle was due to be removed.

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