Father shows off device he dug up in back garden... unaware it's an unexploded anti-tank grenade



A father-of-two posed for photographs unaware he was holding a live Second World War anti-tank grenade after digging it up in his back garden.

Paul Davies, 32, found the undetonated bomb and thought it was part of an old lawn mower or machine.

He took it into his house, where his friend used a camera phone to take a picture of him joking and holding the eight-inch device.

Explosive: Paul Davies, 32, poses with the anti-tank grenade he dug up in his back garden. Twelve nearby homes were evacuated after he realised what it was

Mr Davies, a window cleaner, then placed it near his sink next to some washing up where it sat for more than two hours.

But later in the morning he had a 'bad feeling' and after checking the internet, he realised the rusty lump of metal was an anti-tank grenade.

He threw it into his back garden and called police, who evacuated 12 nearby homes and summoned bomb disposal experts.

They set up a 100 metre exclusion zone around the house before taking the bomb - which was still live - to a nearby field to blow it up.

Mr Davies, of Exeter, Devon, said: 'I couldn't believe what was happening. I dug this thing up and it looked like a part of some old machine.

'I took it inside so I could show the kids when they came home from school and my mate took a photo of me for a laugh and I put it down the side.

'A bit later on I suddenly thought it might be dangerous and had a look on the internet. I said "I think it's a bomb".

'I can't believe I had it in my hand and was posing for a picture. The bomb team told me it was still live.'

Lucky escape: The unexploded grenade next to the sink. Bomb disposal experts safely detonated it in a nearby field

A spokesman for Devon and Cornwall Police said the anti-tank grenade was detonated by experts at 12.50pm on Friday.

He said: 'The bomb disposal team took it away and blew it up. We visited homeowners and asked them to leave their houses to retreat behind a cordon. Twelve properties were affected.'

Mr Davies added: 'It wasn't buried that deep in the earth. I've asked around and apparently the guy who used to live here years ago had an air raid shelter.

'It must have been buried then. I'm glad I didn't hit it with my spade when I dug it up - it could have been kaboom.'

