Homes evacuated in Yorkshire village after hand grenade discovered

Homes were evacuated and a police cordon put up in Sowood, West Yorkshire, after the dramatic find at a house on Park Lane at 12.22pm. A resident is understood to have been sorting through the belongings of a relative who had passed away when the device was discovered.

The Army’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal team were deployed to examine the contraption and deemed it not live. The police cordon was lifted at around 3.30pm and the device was taken away.

Councillor Paul Bellenger, one of the ward members for the area, said: “Thank you to the emergency services for their speedy response and for getting everyone to safety, and for everyone’s understanding and cooperation.”

A spokesperson for West Yorkshire Police said: “The device was found not to be a live device and has been removed and the cordon has now been lifted.”