Police were called to the scene at 10.50am this morning

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A nan found what she thought was a grenade in a fireplace while helping her son to renovate a flat.

Police were called out at 10.50am this morning after they received reports that a grenade had been found at a home on Albert Road in Southport. The home which has been converted into flats was evacuated as police waited for the bomb disposal team to arrive.

The grenade, which was found to be a practice device, was found in the basement flat by Penny Doyle, 63, while she was helping her son Sean renovate the apartment. She said that while she was tidying up she decided to clean out the fireplace.

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Speaking to the ECHO she said: "I was pulling the soil out and in amongst the dirt and bricks I picked up this heavy metal object which looked to be a grenade.

"So I walked through the kitchen and Sean was sawing at the time and I stood behind him as he could not hear me and I said "Sean I think I have found a grenade. He took it outside and phoned the police."

Penny emigrated to Australia 20 years ago and was back in the UK visiting family and this was not her first brush with an explosive device being found in her home. Five years ago while digging out a pool in her back garden in Australia she uncovered nine mining explosives.

Speaking to the ECHO Penny said: "Maybe it is a family trait with the bombs and the hand grenade. " Her son Sean Ellison who owns the property said: "You could see initially it looked to be grenade, I placed it outside and got away from it. I didn't even know who to call at first."

The bomb disposal team arrived on the scene and cleared away the explosive device and residents were allowed back into their homes at 2.15 pm.

A spokesperson for the police said: "Officers recovered a practice grenade found during building work on Albert Road, Southport this morning, Fri 24 June. The road was closed as a precaution but the device was later found to be a practice device posing no risk to the public."

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