BOMB squad officers have removed a deadly Second World War bomb found by young brothers in a hamlet near Wellington.

Incredibly, Wellington School pupils Tom and Alfie Hollingsworth, aged 13 and ten, kept the bomb for a week before their parents alerted police.

As Ford Street was put on red alert on Saturday, bomb disposal experts rushed to Peterhayes Farm from their base at Aldershot to make the device safe.

Mum Sam Hollingsworth said: "The lads were playing in the lane when they found the bomb under a hedge on the farm.

"It didn't look particularly dangerous, but after a week I decided we'd better find out what it was.

"I phoned the police on the non-emergency number 101 and asked for advice on what to do with it, and I'd barely put the phone down when they arrived on our drive.

"We thought as it had been there for years it wasn't suddenly going to blow up."

Police officers taped off the area before visiting neighbours to advise them to stay in doors, and warn that they might have to evacuate the area if a controlled explosion was necessary.

While officers stood guard a photo of the bomb was emailed to the Royal Logistics Corps headquarters in Aldershot for identification, and to find out if it was dangerous.

Sam said: "It seems the recent heavy rain had washed the earth away from the bomb, exposing it.

"The Bomb Squad said it was a harmless practice bomb made of concrete which would have held a small amount of explosive.

"They took it away with them, much to the disappointment of Tom and Alfie."

Paddy Grey, a steward at Wellington Museum, said it could have been dropped from a plane from a number of air bases around the district, including RAF Weston-super-Mare, which was taken over by the RAF in World War Two for training and technical services, or RAF Exeter, or possibly Filton.

He said The US Air Force also used Dunkeswell and Upottery (Smeatharpe) airfields.