Mortars find sparks alert

A town centre was evacuated and bomb disposal experts alerted after a man turned up at a police station clutching old Second World War mortar shells.

Streets were sealed off and shops closed after Gareth Woods showed the explosives to stunned officers at Willenhall Police Station.

The 28-year-old, who found the shells in the attic of his Walsall home, said he wanted to know if they were safe to sell on.

But his inquiry sparked a full-scale bomb scare, with police chiefs immediately evacuating the John Street station at 1.15pm yesterday.

Pedestrians and motorists were stopped from entering John Street, Hall Street and Cheapside, as bomb squad officers were drafted in to remove the shells.

A call was even made to the Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team, which uses robots to diffuse bombs around the world.

They were later called off after the explosives, which date back to the 1940s, were found to be safe.

Mr Woods said he could not believe he had brought the town centre to a standstill.

He said: "I had found them in the attic. Then I saw similar things on Dickinson's Real Deal on the TV and they said they were worth a bit.

"I took them to Wolverhampton to an antique dealer who said I should take them to the police station to get them checked first.

"I brought them to the station, but when I took them out of my pocket they told me to put them down gently on the counter."

Jaspreet Jagdev, spokesman for West Midlands Police, said the incident was declared over just before 3:30pm and cordons lifted.