Experts will try to detonate a mine today after it was dredged up by a trawler off the coast of Sheerness.

The Royal Navy bomb disposal team were called when the German parachute mine was discovered on Friday.

Attempts to do a controlled explosion around two miles off Minster Leas during high tide on Saturday failed.

Coastguard Rescue Officer Ian Goodwin said: "These mines were attached to parachutes to act as blast bombs; when detonated at roof level rather than on impact the aerodynamic effects of their blast were maximised.

"Instead of the shock waves from the explosion being cushioned by surrounding buildings, they could reach a wider area, with the potential to destroy a whole street of houses in a 100m (330 ft), with windows being blown in up to 1.6 km (0.99 mi) away.

"In 1940 and 1941 the Luftwaffe used parachute mines against British targets. They were originally meant for use as magnetically-triggered sea mines and this is probably what this mine was intended for.

"Their German designations were Luftmine A (LMA) and Luftmine B (LMB) and they were 500 kg (1,100 lb) and 1,000 kg (2,200 lb) respectively - this mine was the LMA type.

"They were first used against land targets in September 1940 in the early stages of the Blitz. A single mine could kill 100 people."