A suspected bomb which sparked a major emergency response in Glasgow was discovered by a gardener who cycled home with it in his rucksack.
The young handyman discovered the device, which appeared similar to a WW2 shell, when he was trimming grass at the home of Marc Chorley, 47, in Pollok last Thursday.
He asked if he could keep the rusty old item, before placing it in his back before riding his bike back to his own home on Househillmuir Road, approximately five minutes away.
But his find sparked a major incident on Sunday after he decided to report the device to police, prompting the bomb squad to race to the scene and evacuate his neighbours.
Electrician Marc told the Record: "We were having our grass cut for the first time this year when the gardener discovered the bomb in the hedge.
"It was big, about the size of a paving slab, and very heavy. When we looked at it, it was hollow inside.
"It looks like it's been there for decades, so we suspect it is from the Second World War.
"We took some pictures and the lad asked if he could take it home with him, so he shoved it into his backpack and cycled off."
The local lad, who cuts grass in the neighbourhood for extra money, is understood to have shown the device to his neighbours days later.
They advised him to contact police and emergency crews raced to the scene before cordoning off his street and parts of the surrounding area.
Several properties were evacuated and residents were given shelter at nearby Cleeves Primary School while the item was removed by the Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team.
Marc told how the bomb squad also arrived at his home later that day to conducted a thorough search of his garden to check for other devices.
He continued: "The gardener showed somebody the bomb on Sunday and that's when it all kicked off.
"Emergency teams cleared the houses near him then came to search our garden.
"The lad was with the police when they arrived and they were asking us questions about how we found it.
"Folk were saying they were scared to go outside, but we were 100% sure that it wasn't dangerous.
"I'm no expert, but there didn't seem to be anything inside it. If we thought it could have exploded we wouldn't have let him leave with it."
Police Scotland confirmed residents were able to return to their homes shortly before 3pm on Sunday after the item was removed by bomb disposal experts.
A spokesperson for the force said: "Househillmuir Road in the Pollok area of Glasgow has re-opened following an earlier report of a possible ordnance item being found.
"The Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team attended and the item was removed. There is no ongoing risk to the public."
A Royal Navy Spokesperson said: "The Diving and Threat Exploitation Group, Charlie Squadron, assisted Police Scotland at a property in Househillmuir Road in Glasgow on Sunday.
"The Royal Navy bomb disposal experts were called to investigate a suspected item of ordnance. The item was found to be an inert training projectile and was removed from the scene."
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