A Nottingham woman has described the moment she discovered what she thought was a bomb in her garden.
Beverley Wale, 65, was out in her garden at her home in Redcliffe Road on Wednesday, May 5, when she noticed something strange stuck in the ground while she was gardening.
She took a picture of it and sent it to her daughter who discovered, after a Google search, that very similar devices found in gardens had turned out to be mortar bombs.
So Ms Wale, who has lived at the property for two years, decided not to chance it and phone the police to make them aware of her discovery.
Police and the bomb squad from Chilwell Barracks then arrived to inspect the device - later confirming it was not a bomb and was of no threat to the public.
"I phoned 111 - I was expecting them to come this morning [May 13]," she said.
"But they were very keen to see what it was, and as soon as they saw the picture of it they came straight here.
"They set up a cordon going 100m in each direction and told me to stay inside. The police were in the garden, as were the bomb squad - they put police tape around where it was.
"The bit that really made me worried was what looked like a screw at the side of it."
To her relief, Ms Wale was then told it was not a mortar bomb - as was initially suspected - and the cordon was taken down just before midnight.
The device wasn't removed by the bomb squad, who simply left it where they found it in Ms Wale's garden.
"They told me they didn't know what it was - but that it wasn't dangerous," she said.
"It was certainly an eventful evening. My daughter thinks I should keep it as a souvenir! I must say I don't know what I'm going to do with it, I'm still slightly afraid to go very close to it."
Police have since thanked the public for their co-operation during the incident, as nearby residents were told to stay in their homes while the device was inspected.
Neighbourhood Policing Inspector Karl Thomas, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “As with all reports of discovered military ordinance, our number one priority is public safety while ensuring a minimal impact on residents in the area.
“Thankfully, the item found was not deemed to be dangerous and the scene was closed before midnight.
“I would like to thank the Royal Logistic Corps from the Chilwell Barracks for their assistance in this incident as well as the officers and PCSOs who attended the scene.
“I would also like to thank local residents for their patience and understanding while we conducted our investigation.”
