THE Ministry of Defence is being asked to survey part of a moor above Rossendale where a wartime bomb was discovered.

Contractors working for North West Water were digging a trench on Landgate Moor, above the Red Lion Pub in Shawforth, on Monday when they uncovered a rocket and took it to Bacup Police Station. The station was then evacuated while bomb squad officers were called from Liverpool to remove the device and detonate it on the moor above Sharneyford.

Insp Steve Baines, head of policing at Bacup, said: "The water workers have been told not to continue with their excavations for the time being and I have put an official request into the Ministry of Defence to send a surveyor up to look at the moor and inspect the location to advise whether the water workers should continue.

"There are unconfirmed reports of a wartime munitions dump on the moors. We have been in touch with the local planning department but officers have no knowledge of one, but over the years small arms ammunition has been brought in previously.

"If anyone finds something that they expect could be arms from the war they should leave it where they find it, note the location and call the police."

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