Kendal metal detectorists find live hand grenade in Flookburgh

A controlled explosion had to be carried out after a live hand grenade was discovered in a field by metal detectorists.

Members of Kendal Metal Detecting Club were on a day out in Flookburgh, Cumbria, on Sunday when one found the ordnance 4in (10cm) below the surface, hitting it with a spade in the process of digging it up.

Joyce Brown, who had organised the event, contacted Cumbria Police and bomb disposal experts from Catterick Garrison carried out the explosion, which was watched by the club along with the landowner and his family.

Ms Brown said she was not “phased” by the ordeal and she was “more concerned for the farmer’s wall”.

“I work for the NHS, you can’t be phased by things like that,” Ms Brown told BBC Radio Cumbria.

While another member made a record of the day’s hoard and drew the raffle, Ms Brown put up an exclusion zone of 100m (328 ft) and waited for the police to arrive.

“As far as I was concerned it was cordoned off, it was as safe as could be,” she said.

The member who discovered the grenade did not know what it was at first and placed it on a nearby wall.

“She said it was cracked underneath, I was more concerned for the farmer’s wall,” Ms Brown said.

Cumbria Police said the hand grenade was found to be live and the area had been quickly evacuated with the controlled explosion taking place “within a couple of hours”.

Ms Brown said it was a first for her and a first for the club.

“Not wishing to make a drama out of a crisis, the rally continued as planned,” she added.