Two Friends Unknowingly Soak World War Two Bomb In Vinegar & Hit It With Chisel

A man who found a World War Two Bomb, not knowing what it was, took the bomb home soaked it in vinegar and hit it with a chisel.

Andrew McWhinnie was magnet fishing in a canal when he reeled in a metal object which he was unable to identify.

He decided to take it to his friend Nick's house where they decided to leave it to soak in vinegar for a week and even took a chisel to its outer shell.

The markings on the outside soon began to reveal themselves and the friends suddenly became aware that it was, in fact, a shell.

They raised the alarm and police, firefighters, and a specialist bomb disposal team from the Royal Logistics Corps descended on the house in Swindon.

Nick said:

"We thought it couldn't be a bomb - and even if it was, what are you supposed to do with it?

"Are you really going to call up on a Saturday night and say you think you've got a bomb - they wouldn't believe you.

"We thought about taking it to the TA but,

you can hardly walk through town with a bomb in your bag."

When Nick called  999, they asked which service he wanted to which he replied "all of them.".

While it was verified as being genuine World War Two era ordnance, they were satisfied that it didn't pose a risk to the public.

However, much to Andrew and Nick's disappointment they were unable to keep the bomb as it was removed from the house and taken away for safe disposal.

The RLC team believed the bomb was an 8lb armour piercing solid shot round.