River Aire: Grenade found during Leeds river blue plaque search

The grenade was picked up from the bottom of the River Aire in Leeds by a magnet, before becoming stuck to the side of a boat

Staff at Asda's headquarters were evacuated after volunteers looking for a missing blue plaque in a Leeds river found a grenade.

A boat trawling the River Aire with a magnet found the device at about 12:15 BST, with the grenade becoming stuck to the side of the vessel.

The search continued for a blue plaque dedicated to David Oluwale, which went missing hours after its unveiling.

West Yorkshire Police said the grenade was taken away and destroyed.

Volunteers from the Canal Connections community enterprise found the grenade while helping to search the River Aire for the missing plaque

The Canal Connections community enterprise, which was helping to search the river near Leeds Bridge, said volunteers carried out emergency procedures to get the crew off the boat safely and called police.

Officers told the public to avoid Great Wilson Street in the city centre while the incident was dealt with.

An explosive ordnance disposal team removed the grenade at about 15:00 BST.

A spokesperson for the supermarket chain said staff were asked to temporarily leave the building by the police, with the building opening again soon after.