Bomb squad called after suspected grenade pulled out of canal

Police descended on the Bridgewater Canal at Higher Green Lane, in Astley, and called in the bomb squad to establish exactly what the item was.

It was pulled out of the water on Sunday afternoon by people who were magnet fishing.

A police spokesman said: "At 4pm today some people were magnet fishing and managed to pull out what appears to be a grenade from the canal.

"At the moment there is a cordon in place while we are waiting for experts to come and make it safe."

The grenade was moved to a safer location so it could be dealt with by the bomb squad on Monday.

The canal towpath and Higher Green Lane, over the canal bridge, were closed between the junctions of Peel Lane and Cleworth Close in Astley, but have since reopened.

It comes less than three weeks after an eight-year-old boy found a hand grenade while magnet fishing in the River Douglas in Shevington.

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