Residents were kept out of their homes for more than two hours on Friday night after the discovery of a hand grenade in a back garden.

Police were called to Grove Road in Strood at 6.48pm to reports that the device had been found in the garden of a house undergoing renovation.

Officers shut the residential street in both directions and a police cordon was put in place until the bomb disposal unit arrived at around 8.50pm and removed the grenade.

A police spokesman said that a number of neighbouring homes had been evacuated as a precaution, but that they were allowed to return shortly after the bomb disposal team had taken away the grenade.

"Kent Police was called at 6.48pm following the discovery of an unexploded wartime device in the garden of a property in Grove Road, Strood," they said.

"The Explosive Ordnance Disposal team arrived at approximately 8.50pm and safely removed the device.

"Residents have returned to their homes and officers have left the scene."