A BUOY lantern has washed up on a beach in the New Forest district, having made its way over from the Atlantic.

The special marker buoy washed up on Naish Beach before Christmas having made the long journey from American shores through the recent storms.

After much deliberation between the Coastguard and Trinity House over the ownership of the buoy, a charity dedicated to the safeguarding of ships and seafarers, the buoy was dealt with by the Coastguards.

A spokesman from the New Forest District Council said: “A very large ‘buoy lantern’ washed up on Naish Beach, in the New Forest district, before Christmas.

“Our coastal team has been in contact with Trinity House and the Coastguard to try to establish ownership of the buoy.

“We have been advised that it is an American buoy that appears to have crossed the Atlantic, made its way up the English Channel, to wash up on one of our beaches.”

A Special Mark, as defined by the International Association of Lighthouse Authorities, is a sea mark used in maritime pilotage.

The buoy is the size of a small car and is estimated to weighs around two tonnes.

Once on the scene, the Coastguard team confirmed that it was the same buoy that was washed up in rough seas a few weeks ago.

The New Forest District Council spokesman added: “Naish beach is made up of very soft material and is quite inaccessible to large machinery, so retrieving it is likely to be challenging and costly.”