An emergency evacuation of residents was launched after a 'World War Two era bomb' was left out by a homeowner with the rubbish.
A pensioner first spotted the old mortar shell in a bin bag full of rubble and concrete in the shed of her home in Swinton, Salford, THREE weeks ago.
The bag is understood to have been left there by the previous owner.
READ MORE: Bomb squad called as 'grenade' discovered in canal with footpath cordoned off
The woman, 82, told how she took the shell out of the bag and left it by her wheelie bins.
A neighbour on Moss Lane spotted it after they helped her out by returning her bins to her driveway on Friday after bin collection day.
The neighbour advised her to move the piece of ordnance to her back garden.
The woman's daughter said family members grew concerned and went on to alert the emergency services after they looked up the shell online.
Police, firefighters and bomb disposal experts raced to the scene as a result at 11.30am on Sunday.
The fire service said a small number of residents were evacuated and a larger number told to stay indoors and keep their doors and windows shut.
An Explosive Ordnance Disposal team from Chester was subsequently scrambled.
Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service said experts inspected the ordnance and took it away without a controlled explosion taking place.
It was declared to be safe.
The woman's daughter said her mother didn't want to put it in her wheelie bin.
"The police were wonderful," she said.
"They were very professional and it was declared safe.
"It wasn't live, but we all had to go through the process. It was in a bin bag with a load of rubble and concrete in it left by the former owner in the shed."
In a statement, Greater Manchester Police said: "Police were called at around 11.30am today, (Sunday 31 October), following reports of a suspicious object on Moss Lane in Swinton, Manchester.
"A cordon was put in place as a safety precaution and a number of residential buildings were evacuated.
"The Explosive Ordnance Disposal team was notified and after assessing the item, declared it safe."
Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service confirmed a 'WW2 era bomb' was discovered.
They said residents told to evacuate were asked to do so calmly and follow the instructions of the emergency services.
Residents were allowed back into their homes - and road closures were lifted - at around 3pm.
In a separate incident, bomb disposal officers were also called to reports a suspected grenade had been found by a member of the public in a canal in Trafford.
The bomb squad attended the incident in Stretford, with police and firefighters.
A footpath was cordoned off next to the Bridgewater Canal, near Edge Lane, but the ordnance was later declared 'not viable'.
