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Bomb experts called after museum find

Bomb disposal experts turned up at a museum volunteer's Norfolk house after he took home some grenades found in the museum's archive.

Volunteers at Bishop Bonner's cottage in Dereham found a box labelled "bomb" while sorting through items held in storage.

They opened the box and found three clay balls packed with gun powder with wicks sticking out of them.

Bob Davies, Vice-Chairman of the Dereham Antiquarian Society, decided to take them home.

"We think somebody made the grenades during the First World War in a Dad's Army-style attempt to defend the country.

"I thought they had sat on a shelf safely for 90 years so it should be ok to take them home for safekeeping.

"I called the police and they told me not to touch them. The next thing I knew, bomb disposal experts arrived.

"I think my neighbours were quite surprised."

– Bob Davies, Dereham Antiquarian Society

He added that experts were so impressed by the find that they will find a new home for the grenades in the bomb disposal unit's museum in Colchester.