A Dumbarton resident made a rather unusual discovery in her back garden this morning (May 22) after unearthing a hand grenade.

Stunned members of the public looked on as police and a bomb disposal squad descended on Geils Avenue to investigate the bizarre find.

The area was cordoned off from around 12pm for around two hours, with residents who were at home required to leave their houses while the item was cleared.

According to one neighbour, the lady had been weeding her garden when she dug up the explosive device.

Popping it in a plant pot, she took it over to him – and he immediately confirmed her suspicions of what the item was.

The neighbour, who did not wish to be named, said: “She came across to see me and she said, ‘I’ve got a wee present for you. It looks like a grenade.’

“I said that’s what it is, and I phoned the police. We thought it could be dangerous. The police said to get away from it and not to touch it.

“We were evacuated for about two-and-a-half hours. Everybody had been saying, ‘What’s going on?’

“Police said it was a WWII grenade.”

Though the discovery was a shock, the device was confirmed to not be live, and was removed by the bomb squad.

Another neighbour, he had been out at the shops when the discovery was made and returned to the sight of the police cordon, claimed there had been an air of excitement in the area as residents waited to find out what the grenade’s status was.

He said: “To us it was exciting, but to them [the bomb squad] it was run of the mill. They were trying to work out where it originally came from.

“I think there were about six police officers, and there were two from the bomb squad in a big van.

“It’s all back to normal now.”

The Shopsmart Convenience Store on Greenhead Road also had to close during the incident, with manager Maqsood Ahmed saying it was “concerning,” and that people were “all a bit relieved” that the all-clear was given.

Police Scotland confirmed an Explosive Ordnance team were deployed after they had received a call at 11.50am, and that road and adjoined houses were cordoned off after a grenade had been found.

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “It was quickly established the item was inert and officers stood down shortly after.”

This is not the first time a hand grenade has been discovered on Geil Avenue.

Back in June 2007, the Reporter reported on another gardener’s explosive discovery on the very same street.

The man was said to have been clearing his garden when he found the device, with a bomb squad again attending.

On that occasion, a witness said the grenade been taken to a ‘safe location’ east of Dumbarton Castle for a controlled explosion to be carried out.