A BOMB was discovered in rural East Lancashire after a walker with a metal detector unearthed it.

Police were called to a United Utilities waste water treatment works in Dunsop Bridge in the Ribble Valley late on Saturday night.

After cordoning off the site expert bomb disposal officers were called in to make the scene safe and remove the bomb.

Insp Mick Laraway of Blackburn Police said the device was a Second World War era mortar bomb.

It appeared to be an unexploded bomb that had become buried in the ground.

He said: "A cordon was put in place but there was no need to evacuate any residents because the area is quite remote.

"A walker who had been out in the area with a metal detector which had located a metal devise.

"That person then began to dig to find what was there and I think he was a bit shocked to find that it was an old mortar.

"He did the right thing and immediately called the police."

The alarm was raised around 7pm on Saturday night and the cordon stayed in place until after 11pm when the bomb disposal crews, who travelled from Chester, had made the scene safe.