Grenade which sparked Dundee emergency dated from WWII

A grenade which sparked an emergency when it was handed to a police officer dated from the Second World War, the Army said today.

Residents in Dura Street, Dundee, were told to stay indoors and the road closed after the badly-corroded device was passed to the officer at around 3pm yesterday.

Army bomb disposal experts were called in and took the grenade away to destroy it elsewhere.

It is understood the hand grenade was dug up several years ago by a man in the local area and then kept at a home address.

A family member found it and handed it to police yesterday.

The device was placed on waste ground as safe a distance as possible from household properties while bomb disposal experts travelled to the scene.

Three fire engines, a heavy rescue unit, a command and support unit and the Scottish Ambulance Service were also on stand-by at the incident.

The army Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team removed the device and the incident was dealt with by early evening yesterday.

An Army spokeswoman said: “It was a World War 2 grenade. It has been taken away and they will dispose of it in a place where it is safe to do so.

“There was no threat to the public.”

Tayside Police said that if people come across what they believe to be a piece of ordnance, they should leave the suspicious item where it is and contact the authorities.