AN unexploded grenade has been found at Wroughton Airfield.

Army bomb disposal experts arrived at the scene before 9.30am this morning.

A controlled detonation took place this morning, on the site of the 165-acre Wroughton Airfield Solar Park. 

It is thought that police were told about the find yesterday on the site, where construction work is taking place, at around 3.45pm.

John Spouge, of Luckes & Son Removals & Storage, which has facilities at the airfield, turned up at 8am to go to work but was not allowed onto the site.

A Wiltshire Police spokesman said: "Police received a call at 16.25 yesterday to Wroughton Airfield to reports of a suspected unexploded World War Two hand grenade.

"Officers attended but because it was found to be in a secure location the matter was decided to be handed over to the bomb disposal unit, which we understand has attended this morning."

The solar farm on the former RAF airfield is a joint venture between Public Power Solutions (PPS) – a provider of innovative sustainable waste and power solutions and a wholly-owned company of Swindon Borough Council – and the Science Museum Group, which owns the site.

Once completed in March 2016 and connected to the national grid, the solar farm will have an installed capacity of at least 41MW of energy – enough to power the equivalent of more than 12,000 typical homes.