Devon and Cornwall Police were called to Heathpark Estate, Honiton after what was 'thought to be a bomb' was found yesterday afternoon (Thursday March 7).

Yesterday afternoon, police received a call reporting a suspicious object that had been uncovered within the Heathpark business estate, Honiton.

Police say 'when we arrived, we found an object was metallic, heavily rusted, and cylindrical with a diameter of approximately 1 foot.'

The first units on scene found an object half buried within the soil, it was not possible to fully ascertain what it was.

Images were shared with Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) specialists from Plymouth who advised that they would deploy to assess the object at the scene.

A cordon was established, which included an exclusion zone within Durham Way and a controlled zone along Devonshire Road.

A spokesman for Devon and Cornwall Police said: "The cordons were established as best as could be to limit the local disruption.

"We received several enquiries at the scene asking why we cordon off an area for an object that might have been inert for 80 years underground without incident."

"Due to its age, these devices are often more unstable once disturbed or uncovered. This is largely due to the degradation of the chemical fuse, and once disturbed, uncovered, or moved, the fuse can degrade further, and thus, the risk of detonation can increase significantly."

The bomb squad (EOD operators) arrived on the scene and confirmed that this was not an unexploded device at 17:49.

The cordon was lifted, and roads re-opened.

A spokesman added: "Throughout such incidents, we aim to minimise disruption whilst obtaining the advice of specialists within the field of munitions.

"We thank the public for their patience during this incident."