A bomb squad descended on an area near a church after a 'suspicious item' was found in Wigan .
Police responded to reports of the device, near to St James' Church in Poolstock, on Wednesday.
A cordon was put in place while the device was destroyed in a controlled explosion.
Officers believe the item to be a World War Two bomb, and say there is nothing to suggest it was terror-related.
Eyewitnesses reported seeing a large emergency services presence surrounding a canal in the area from about 3pm.
A spokesperson for Greater Manchester Police said: "On Wednesday, police responded to reports of a suspicious item found close to St James Church in Poolstock, Wigan.
"Bomb disposal officers attended and made an assessment that the device was potentially viable.
"As a precaution a controlled explosion was carried out whilst a cordon was in place. This has since been lifted.
"There is nothing to suggest this is terrorist related and the device is thought to be from World War Two."
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