The luckiest man alive

Bomb disposal experts were called in after the man handed in the Second World War grenade - minus its safety pin - at Pickering Police Station.

The man said he had found the device in Northumberland the previous day and had driven back with it in his car. The town's swimming pool was shut, roads were closed and locals were told to open their windows.

Army disposal experts at Catterick carried out a controlled explosion in a field behind the police station. The grenade was considered to be too dangerous to move.

Sergeant Andrew Stubbings said the bomb disposal experts found the device to be extremely dangerous.

"It went off with a deep boom and did destroy some of the sandbags, so it would have had quite an impact had the sandbags not absorbed the shock.

"The army disposal people say the man who brought it to the police station can probably consider himself to be the luckiest man alive."

He warned that if anyone finds something similar to leave it alone, remember the location of it and to contact police immediately.

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