BREAKING NEWS:

At least one canister possibly containing a deadly poison has been found washed up in Dickson inlet in Port Douglas. 

The canister resembles a cylindrical silver bottle with a wide neck, and is about 20 centimetres tall and 10 centimetres wide - about the size of a 1-litre bottle of milk. 

It is believed to contain a deadly chemical called aluminium phosphide, which is used as an industrial-strength pesticide in cargo ships. 

Aluminium phosphide can also explode when exposed to heat or pressure. 

The canister was found yesterday evening at the tideline in Dickson Inlet near Port Douglas Yacht Club by a man that wished to remain anonymous. 

He gave it to a friend, known to locals as Jonno with Two Dogs, a volunteer for the Port Douglas Coast Guard. 

When advised by The Newsport as to the canister’s possible contents Jonno took it straight to the Port Douglas Police Station, where police contacted the Queensland Fire and Rescue service for safe disposal of the object. 

A police statement is expected to be forthcoming soon. 

Similar canisters have been found up and down the eastern coast over the past two years, possibly indicating that they fell or were thrown from a ship and carried via currents before washing up.

More to come as this story develops.