A “church coffee morning” ended in a bomb scare after a member of the congregation brought a live explosive device to the event.
It is believed a military history enthusiast brought three shells – thought to date back to World War One – to St Paul’s Church in Withington, Manchester on Wednesday, to show a fellow enthusiast.
Not realising one of the shells still had a fuse attached, the device was taken to the local fire station and they took one look at it and said “back away,” Manchester Evening News (MEN) reported.
Greater Manchester Police said they were called to reports of a suspicious device on Wilmslow Road just after 11am.
A 25m cordon was put in place and an Explosive Ordinance Disposal team were called to the scene.
The device was later destroyed in a “controlled environment”, police said.
The enthusiast, who requested not to be identified, told MEN they were given the items from a friend – who said they had retrieved them from the site of the battle of the Somme in northern France.
Reverend Cate Allison, a priest at St Paul’s Withington, said: “On Wednesday, during our church coffee morning, a visitor brought in historic devices believed to date back to the early to mid-twentieth century.
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“When volunteers became aware of these items, they acted immediately ensuring that they were taken to Withington Fire Station for expert advice. The fire department contacted the bomb disposal unit to ensure the situation was handled safely.”
She said all the necessary precautions were implemented to protect local residents, and the church is “grateful for the support of our community and the swift response of the emergency services”.