'Artillery shell' safely exploded on Cornish farmland after shocking discovery

Police and Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal attended the scene

A device thought to be an artillery shell that was discovered in Hayle earlier today has been "safely" exploded on some farmland by a Navy explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) team.

Police and bomb experts were tasked at a property in Hayle following the discovery of a suspected ordnance this afternoon.

Teams descended on Ventonleague Hill in the town on Tuesday afternoon (August 25) after receiving reports about the unidentified item, which police now say is thought to have been an artillery shell.

Navy EOD, along with officers from Devon and Cornwall Police, attended the scene of the discovery on Ventonleague Hill.

Earlier today, a spokesperson for Devon and Cornwall Police said: “Police and Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) are currently in attendance at a property in Ventonleague Hill in Hayle following reports of a possible ordnance located at an address."

In a recent development, Devon and Cornwall Police confirmed that the Royal Navy EOD team removed the device from the property in Hayle, before safely exploding it on some nearby farmland.

A spokesperson said: "The device - believed to be an artillery shell - was removed by EOD and safely detonated on farmland nearby just after 5pm."