There were fears two streets would have to be evacuated after a Second World War shell was unearthed in a family’s back garden.

Police and the bomb disposal team were called to Alan and Sharon Underdown’s home in Watling Place, Sittingbourne, shortly after it was found by their son Gary just before noon on Boxing Day.

The 27-year-old discovered it while using a metal detector, which his parents bought him for Christmas.

He said: “My grandad Bill, who lives in the house next door to us, told me how he was digging his garden over with a fork in about 1973 when he found a Second World War shell.

He picked it up and looked at it and threw it up the bank at the bottom of the garden.

“The story has always fascinated me so I thought I’d have a quick go with the detector over the bank. I never thought that I would find it as it’s been buried for 40 years. The next thing BEEP, BEEP, BEEP.

“I dug down about three inches and found it.

“I picked it up and put it down on the garden bench before telling my mum and dad what I’d found. They thought I was joking to start with.

“It was then we said perhaps we should let someone know so I called 101 but was told to dial 999. I started to worry a bit then.”

"I was a bit gutted because grandad found it and had told me about it since I was a kid" - Gary Underdown

Three police officers were sent to the scene. On arrival they took a picture of the device before sending it to the Explosive Ordnance Disposal team in Folkestone.

The duty manager at Judd’s Folly Hotel in Faversham added: “They told us to go inside, not to touch it and wait for further information.

“They then sent another message saying they may have to evacuate my street and Gaze Hill, which is behind it. At that point I was thinking ‘I’m not going to be very popular’.

“Forty minutes later they turned up in a big green lorry so all the curtains were twitching. They came in had a quick look at it and took it away to dispose of it, which was a relief.

“I was a bit gutted because grandad found it and had told me about it since I was a kid, but I understand why they took it.”