NORTH Cerney residents fled their homes after a Second World War hand grenade was found in a garden on Saturday afternoon.

A bomb disposal unit rushed to a house in North Cerney at 5.50pm after a person digging their garden at the house in Churnside discovered the old and rusty grenade with the trigger and pin visible in the soil.

Police arrived at the scene at 4pm and told people to stay in their homes but some fled before the disposal unit arrived, and took away the grenade, which was already disarmed.

David Broad, Cotswold District Council councillor for the Chedworth ward, was canvassing for the upcoming local elections at the time of the dramatic scene in Churnside.

He said: “My friend went to stop to drop me off and we found two police cars were stopped outside one of the Churnside houses, I started talking to residents and asked what was going on. The people at the Perrott's Brook (road that adjoins with Churnside) end did not know and suggested it was someone pulled for speeding but as I approached the police cars people were leaving their homes with suit cases. And when I asked I was told by a resident that a Second World War hand grenade had been found.

“Not surprisingly I did not hang about as it was not an ideal time to talk elections, or get people to pose for pictures. Dangerous work canvassing!”