AN UNEXPLODED First World War shell was unearthed by a landscape gardener in Bisley.

Houses around Bearsfield were evacuated before the weapon was removed and destroyed by a bomb disposal unit.

The incident last Wednesday, November 19, follows the discovery of a Second Would War anti-aircraft shell in Amberley this July.

Tom Humphreys, 19, found the weapon at about 10.30am only three to four inches below the ground while landscaping the back garden.

"It looked like an old glass bottle or something like that but when I picked it up on my shovel it was really heavy and all rusty," he said.

"I then suspected it was something like a shell and put it carefully down."

Tom, a former Thomas Keble pupil, inspected the shell with his colleague Julian Hillman, 39, and was shell-shocked at his discovery.

The metal casing was 6 inches in length and three to four inches in diameter with a pointed end.

"It was the first time I had seen anything like that," said Tom, from Stroud. "I was a little bit concerned because the area was so close to the public."

The pair left the garden and evacuated the occupant before telephoning their manager Charles Price. "I thought it was quite amazing," said Mr Price, managing director of Graduate Gardeners Ltd.

"There was one recently in Amberley and that was quite current on my mind, so I was not entirely shocked "But I must admit we hadn’t dug up one before."

Mr Price, who also claims an employee unearthed a hand grenade about five years ago, immediately dialled 999.

Police carried out a risk assessment before evacuating all houses in a 50-metre radius.

Neighbour Nicola Styler said was surprised when an officer told her about the incident.

"I said ‘You’re joking, this is a wind-up’ and he said ‘No madam, the bomb disposal unit is on its way’."

After arriving at the site, an explosive ordnance disposal unit removed the weapon and destroyed it at a base in Ashchurch, near Tewkesbury. Police later identified it as an inert First World War tracer shell that would have been used for training.