A pensioner has told of the worrying moment he had to call for bomb disposal teams after accidentally digging up an artillery shell in his garden.

Neighbours had to be evacuated from nearby homes after the discovery of the projectile by John Davies, 79, in Reculver Road, Beltinge.

The keen gardener had been hard at work with his spade when he stumbled upon the item, which was buried just six inches below the surface.

Mr Davies said: "I’m having a shed built at the back of my house so I can put my model railway in it.

"I started to dig a trench and I was digging away quite merrily, but I hit something hard.

"I pulled what I thought was a pipe but I realised it was a shell head and I carefully put it down and called the police."

He swiftly told his wife, Elizabeth, and they dialled 999 following the discovery on Monday shortly before 11am.

Officers drafted in a bomb disposal team to investigate and neighbours were evacuated from their homes while the item was removed.

"When we got back, the police called us and we asked them what it was," Mr Davies added.

The age of the shell has not been confirmed, by it is understood to date back to the early 20th century.

Mr Davies said: "It wasn’t explosive, it was solid shot.

"But you don’t take that chance and you work on the basis that it is dangerous and move away from it.

"I found it about four feet away from the house. It would have ruined our kitchen if it was explosive.

"We moved in here three years ago and you wouldn’t believe the strange things we have found - sheets of steel, glass and a ship's binnacle.

"When I said to my wife I had found something, she gave me this, 'What now?', look. I hope we don’t find any more."

Police confirmed officers attended Reculver Road, Herne Bay after a report that potential unexploded ordnance had been found at about 11am on Monday.

The device was safely dealt with by explosives experts, the force said.

An Army spokesperson said: "An Army Explosive Ordnance Disposal team was called out to an address in Reculver Road, Beltigne, Herne Bay at the request of Kent Police on Monday, where a WWII era solid shot shell was safely removed."

Mr Davies added: "The funny thing is I hit something hard the next day, and I thought, 'not again' - but it was just a tree root.

"I’m still looking for that trunk of gold coins, but I still haven’t found that yet."