An explosive night out in Somerset

A hand grenade!

Reports of traffic chaos between Drayton and Muchelney last eve.

No, not the road closure due to flooding – though that didn't help matters if you were travelling home. Apparently a group magnet fishing 'caught' a hand grenade in the River Parrett by Muchelney Bridge.

Bomb disposal experts were called to the scene and by all accounts the grenade was dealt with without incident. Phew!

Dragging up unexploded ordnance whilst magnet fishing isn't all that rare. In March this year bomb disposal experts carried out a controlled explosion after a grenade was fished out of the River Great Ouse in Bedfordshire.

Just over a month ago an intact grenade was pulled out of the Union Canal in Linlithgow. The police were called and the grenade removed to a safe location and exploded in a controlled environment. Sadly the magnet was destroyed along with the grenade.

Whilst searching for a missing blue plaque in the River Aire in Leeds a boat trawling the river with a magnet found a grenade which subsequently became stuck to the side of the vessel! The crew was safely evacuated whilst experts removed and dealt with the device.

Near Sutton Coldfield, whilst searching for a fishing lure with a magnet device, a fisherman hauled up 19 grenades from the River Tame. Noting that some of the WWII grenades still had their pins in place, he called the police. Good plan!

Police were called to the River Thames in Goring after scrap hunters magnet fishing near the Thames Path dragged out a grenade. The footpath was closed and specialist officers secured the device, which still contained its firing pin.

And a nine year old boy fished an antique stick grenade from the River Thames near Oxford on his first foray into magnet fishing. The grenade was safely removed and the young lad said his experience had been 'amazing!'