Norfolk school bomb scare sparked by pupil's beach find

Staff and students were evacuated from Alderman Peel High School after a "very old piece" of metal sparked a bomb alert

A high school was evacuated after a pupil brought in what was first feared to be an unexploded shell.

Police were called to Alderman Peel High School, in Wells-next-the-Sea, but found the item to be a "very old piece" of metal, the principal said.

Bomb disposal experts were initially called to the school, Norfolk Police said, but did not attend the scene.

Principal Alastair Ogle said the school "erred on the side of caution" due to concerns about the heavily rusted item.

"A boy brought in a piece of metal - a very old piece of corroded metal - that he had found on the beach," he said.

"We weren't sure if it was something we should be concerned about."

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The school decided to evacuate staff and students from the buildings after finding the item at about 10:25 BST, before police confirmed it was not suspicious.

People were allowed to return inside just over an hour later.

Mr Ogle said officers had taken away the object and had "commended" the school on its actions.

He added that the pupil had not acted maliciously, but had brought in his beach find to "show his friends".