AN Alcester resident, who was having a hedge removed recently, was shocked to discover they had a live hand grenade buried at the bottom of their garden.

The grenade was actually discovered by Mike Hamilton from local company Roots to Shoots, who had been removing the hedge on Field’s Park Drive in Alcester.

He said: “I put the pitch fork in and there was a little ‘tink’ and up came a hand grenade. At first I thought it just cannot be. It was just like you see in ‘Saving Private Ryan’, an old and rusty pineapple shaped grenade.”

Mr Hamilton showed the grenade, which no longer held a pin, to his client.

He added: “Realisation set in that it could go off at any moment and we perched it on the top of the hedge stumps as far away from the house as we could.”

The two men called the local police and Pc Pete Essex from Alcester South Safer Neighbourhood Team attended the scene, quickly realising that this was a job for the bomb disposal unit, which is based in Tewkesbury, and residents were asked to stay out of their back gardens and remain indoors until their arrival.

Experts from the bomb disposal unit determined that the grenade still contained some active explosive, and it was taken to a nearby farmer’s field off the Stratford Road, where it was safely detonated.

Pc Essex said: “Apparently the grenade was either a WW1 or WW2 type 36 Mills grenade and it is not known how long it had been in the man’s garden. The loud bang from the explosion could be heard throughout Alcester. This was a very unusual incident but it must be stressed that if people do find such items then the item must be left where it is, keep a safe distance away and inform the police.”

Anyone discovering any kind of suspicious object, should contact the Alcester Safer Neighbourhood Team on 01789 444816.