A gardener from Glasgow sparked a massive emergency response after he cycled home with a suspected bomb in his rucksack.
The handyman was trimming grass at the home of Marc Chorley, 47, and Ruth Smith, 40, on Seamill Street in Pollok last Thursday, when he spotted what appeared to a WW2 shell in the garden.
After asking the couple if he could keep the rusty he item, he placed it in his back pack and rode his bike to his home five minutes away on Househillmuir Road, writes the Record.
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His discovery of the relic resulted in a major incident on Sunday after he made the decision to report the mysterious device to police. Bomb disposal units blue lighted their way to the property and those living nearby were evacuated.
Electrician Marc told the Record: "We were having our grass cut for the first time this year when the gardener discovered the bomb in the hedge.
"It was big, about the size of a paving slab, and very heavy. When we looked at it, it was hollow inside.
"It looks like it's been there for decades, so we suspect it is from the Second World War.
"We took some pictures and the lad asked if he could take it home with him, so he shoved it into his backpack and cycled off."
The lad, who cuts grass in the neighbourhood for extra money, later showed his discovery to neighbours days later. They advised him to report the relic to police and emergency crews raced to the scene before cordoning off his street and parts of the surrounding area.
Residents fled several properties and were given shelter at nearby Cleeves Primary School while the item was removed by the Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team.
Later that day the bomb squad turned up at Marc's home to carry out a search to ensure there were no other items in the garden.
He continued: "The gardener showed somebody the bomb on Sunday and that's when it all kicked off.
"Emergency teams cleared the houses near him then came to search our garden.
"The lad was with the police when they arrived and they were asking us questions about how we found it.
"Folk were saying they were scared to go outside, but we were 100% sure that it wasn't dangerous. I'm no expert, but there didn't seem to be anything inside it. If we thought it could have exploded we wouldn't have let him leave with it."
Police confirmed that residents returned home shortly before 3pm on Sunday after the item was removed bomb disposal experts.
A spokesperson for Police Scotland said: "Househillmuir Road in the Pollok area of Glasgow has re-opened following an earlier report of a possible ordnance item being found.
"The Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team attended and the item was removed. There is no ongoing risk to the public."
A Royal Navy Spokesperson said: "The Diving and Threat Exploitation Group, Charlie Squadron, assisted Police Scotland at a property in Househillmuir Road in Glasgow on Sunday.
"The Royal Navy bomb disposal experts were called to investigate a suspected item of ordnance. The item was found to be an inert training projectile and was removed from the scene."
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