Woman washed suspected bomb in kitchen sink Published duration 7 June 2013

image caption The explosive object was discovered in a garden in Melton Constable, Norfolk

A woman who dug up a suspected bomb in her garden washed it in her sink before police were called and a controlled explosion was carried out.

Carole Longhorn struck the metal object with her spade while gardening at her home in Melton Constable, Norfolk.

Her husband, Clive, said: "I heard a rattle in the kitchen and saw she was washing it in the blooming sink."

The object, which is about 25cm long (10in) and thought to have been a World War II projectile, was blown up.

Mrs Longhorn, 66, said she shouted out to her husband, who was indoors, after digging up the explosive.

"I called my husband to come and have a look at it, but he wouldn't so I brought it indoors," she said.

'Precautions'

Mr Longhorn, 60, said his wife put the object on the coffee table.

"You can imagine what I said to her," he said.

Mrs Longhorn washed the bomb in the sink before taking it outside.

"She took a few precautions," Mr Longhorn said. "She put a plastic seat on the top in case it went off."

Mr Longhorn, who said the object was "heavy", then called 999 and a police officer advised they leave the house for a few hours as a precaution.

image caption Clive and Carole Longhorn called the police after trying to clean the explosive

They returned just as a bomb disposal squad from RAF Wittering in Cambridgeshire arrived at their house on Wednesday.

"They said it was live and that we were very lucky," Mr Longhorn said.

The object was driven to a nearby quarry and detonated.

"It was brilliant," Mr Longhorn said. "The ground shook - you could feel the shockwaves come across and bump into you.

"The bloke said to me: 'Tell the wife if she finds any more, put them in a nice neat heap and we'll deal with them all at once'."

A spokesman at RAF Wittering said the 4.5in (11cm) diameter projectile "more than likely" dated back to World War II.

"We couldn't be sure it wasn't live so took the precaution and detonated it," the spokesman said.