A BOY of nine given a magnet fisher for Christmas nearly had an explosive start when he brought home an undetonated World War One bomb.
William Hartley was testing out his gift with his grandad Nick at a canal near his home when he pulled out a foot-long metal tube.
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A young boy brought home a World War One bomb after fishing it out of a canal
As they looked closer they realised it was a World War One artillery shell — so excited William decided to carry it home to show his dad.
But a worried neighbour suggested it could be live so the family contacted the police who called the bomb squad.
Dad Andrew said: “The magnet fisher was the first thing he wanted for Christmas, and he was desperate to go out to use it.
“They had gone to the canal and he was sending me back pictures of some of the things he had caught.
“Then he suddenly rang me and said he was bringing something home but couldn’t bring it in the house.
“We waited outside and could see him with this bomb and I just wondered if he should be bringing it home! It was a real shock.”
Andrew put the bomb in the garage of his house in Lancaster before the Royal Logistics Corps Army Bomb Disposal Team from Chester was called in.
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He added: “They came and had a look at it and asked us to clear away from the area.”
The bomb squad said the top part was a timer that had not detonated so they took it away to destroy it themselves.
Andrew said William could not wait to return to primary school after the holiday to tell everyone about his discovery.
“This was a Christmas he will never forget,” he said.
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William used a strong fishing magnet and rope to haul the bomb out of the canal Credit: Shutterstock