A suspected Second World War hand grenade has been found near the canal in Devizes and police have put cordons in place.

A spokesman for Wiltshire police said: "We received a call shortly after 11.30am today after a suspected WW2 hand grenade was discovered on a construction site in Lower Wharf, Devizes.

"A 50 metre cordon has been put in place and boats are being stopped from passing the site, which is on the water’s edge. We are in the process of making the item safe ."

Acting inspector Mark Andrews said that police had spoken to the bomb squad and sent photographs of the grenade.

Police had then been advised that the device would not cause any public danger as long as it was not touched.

PCSO Sue Ellway was posted on the footpath to make sure the grenade was not disturbed until the bomb disposal experts could arrive from Weymouth.

The grenade was discovered by workers employed by the Canal and River Trust who are repairing the footpath. The section where the grenade was found was already closed to allow the work to be carried out.

But the canal cordon was lifted so that boaters could continue to use that section of the waterway.