A controlled explosion was carried out at Dover this afternoon after an old hand grenade was uncovered near a housing estate.

The discovery was made just before 1pm on land at St David's Avenue, Aycliffe.

Police officers were at the scene for five hours and bomb disposal experts were called in to examine the grenade.

Aycliffe resident Colin Godfrey, who raised the alarm, said he found the grenade half buried in a footpath behind Aycliffe.

"It was a Mills grenade, probably from the Second World War," he said.

A police spokesman said a controlled detonation was carried out and the area was then declared safe.