Search continues for hand grenades found in canal

Police said a total of seven suspected hand grenades were found by a magnet fisher

Officers are continuing to search for five suspected hand grenades found in a Worcestershire canal by a magnet fisher.

West Mercia Police said a man found a total of seven devices in the canal on Lea End Lane in Hopwood on Friday, but left the area with five of them, leaving two on the bank.

The force is appealing for the man who found the grenades to come forward so they can be "safely recovered".

Richard Field, districts inspector for Redditch and Bromsgrove, said it was worrying as the grenades were described as being "quite volatile" and could pose a risk to the public.

Richard Field from West Mercia Police urged the man who found the grenades to get in contact

"Because they're ageing, the safety advice is to ring us on 999 immediately, there will be a cordon placed on and then those items will be made safe by the bomb disposal team," he said.

The two grenades that were left on the river bank had since been safely detonated in a controlled explosion, after a 100m cordon was placed around the canal.

Insp Field said the force's primary aim was around the safety of the wider public.

He explained the grenades were from the "World War Two era and therefore there's a risk to the public if the grenade is not treated or addressed by the army bomb disposal team".

"Our theory is that they've either been dumped somewhere, which is obviously quite serious to the public, or they're in someone's garage, shed or house," he said.

The man who found the grenades is described as being about 5ft 10, aged in his 50s, with grey hair and wearing green trousers.

Officers released a low quality image of the two grenades that were left on the bank

Insp Field reassured the person who had the grenades that they "would not be in trouble by the police".

He told BBC Radio Hereford and Worcester it was "quite common" for hand grenades and other items to be discovered in canals or rivers.

"Our focus isn't around criminalising this person, they've made an error of judgement in my own personal opinion, we want to recover the items, make them safe to make sure there isn't a wider risk to the public," he added

"I'd appeal to that person to come forward," he said.

Anyone who sees the man is asked not to approach him and to call 999.