A MAN had a brush with death when he struck an unexploded bomb as he dug in his back garden.

But Dean Warren did not realise it was a mortar shell straight away because it was covered in mud, and pulled it out of the ground.

"I didn't think it was a mortar because it had brackets along the side," said the 29-year-old.

"We didn't really know what it was."

Mr Warren was working with his wife Paula at the spot around 50ft from their house in Abbey View Road, Pinvin, near Pershore.

"We'd both been digging but Dean was the one who hit it with his spade," said Mrs Warren.

The mortar had been buried about 12in below the surface, and was a cylinder about 10in long and 3in in diameter.

"To think it was a bomb and I carried it," said Mrs Warren.

"There had been a wire sticking out the back, and the police sergeant said if we'd pulled it out we would've set off the timer."

The couple left the mortar on the front drive of their house overnight and called police at 9am yesterday.

After an inspection, the police called in bomb disposal experts who carried out a controlled explosion at 4pm in the orchard behind the Warren's garden and further away from their house.

The Warrens were told not to return to their home until after the explosion had been carried out.

"There was no threat to the public and there have been no evacuation," said a police spokeswoman.

Neighbours

Neighbours said they were asked by police to stay at the front of the house and keep children away from the back windows while the bomb was exploded.

"They said it was a Second World War mortar," said Mr Warren

Mrs Warren added: "Police have told us to take care when we are digging in the future.

"What must the neighbours think? We've only been here five months and we've already had the bomb squad out!"