THREE devices, believed to be unexploded, were reported to police over the weekend - and two had to be detonated at a safe distance.

At around 9.30pm on Friday July 8, a member of the public rang North Yorkshire Police having found a hand grenade in the Harrogate area. Officers attended immediately and were at the scene a few minutes later.

A cordon and scene guard were put in place to keep everyone safe while police contacted their colleagues at Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD).

A farmer kindly allowed them to use his field, and EOD attended and safely detonated the grenade in daylight hours the following day.

Then at 8am on Sunday (July 10), an angler fished up a metal object from a river, also in the Harrogate area. Officers attended and sought advice from EOD, who confirmed our opinion that it wasn’t anything suspicious, and could safely be disposed of.

A few hours later, at 11am, a man clearing out a barn in the Craven area found detonators in a tin box. Police called back EOD, who advised them on putting up a cordon. Again, a helpful farmer allowed them to use his field, and the devices were detonated safely at 5.30pm.

Police have issued advice on what to do if you come across something that you think may be an explosive device:

• Do not touch it

• Leave it where it is - even if it looks old and rusty, it may still contain explosives and is therefore potentially dangerous

• Move at least 50m away and call the police on 101, giving them clear information about your location

If you don't know the postal address, give police details of local landmarks, or use an app like What3Words to get an exact location.

If possible, give officers a description of the item, including any markings that may be on it.

As they did over the weekend, police will assess what you’ve told them, and contact EOD who can take any necessary action.