ORANGE flares spotted over the River Exe near Lympstone on Wednesday night sparked Exmouth coastguard to carry out a search of the area.

ORANGE flares spotted over the River Exe near Lympstone on Wednesday night sparked Exmouth coastguard to carry out a search of the area.

When the coastguard team arrived they saw more flares, and gauged they were coming from the Exminster area.

A Portland coastguard spokesperson said: "Further enquiries did not identify the exact source of the flares, but they were definitely from over the land, and possibly part of a military exercise.