A bomb disposal team was called after a man pulled an unexploded grenade out of the River Medway.

Sean Bevan, from Rochester, made the frightening discovery at around 10am this morning while magnet fishing near Maidstone town centre.

Mr Bevan said: "I was not sure what it was at first, until closer inspection. I was shocked.

"I put it safely on the ground and stepped back to alert the police. I called them and within half an hour they arrived to inspect the grenade and told me they would need to call in the army to detonate it."

Police say they were called just before 10am this morning to the riverside, near James Whatman Way.

A spokesman said: "Officers attended the scene and the footpath was closed as precaution. A Ministry of Defence bomb disposal team also attended and the grenade was destroyed in a controlled explosion at around 12.30pm."

Mr Bevan added: "The army said they were taking it away to safely detonate as this would of caused too much grief in the area due to it being under a railway bridge and near a main road."

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