BOMB disposal experts were called to a North-East village after a man believed he had found an unexploded shell, in a garage.

Maurice Hunter, 72, was looking around the garage at Hunter Brothers in Tantobie, near Stanley, County Durham, shortly after 3pm today.

He picked up a carrier bag and a foot-long metal bullet-shaped object fell out.

Mr Hunter said "We were clearing out some old cars and I just went to see what was left there.

"There was an old plastic bag so I picked it up and it fell out on to the floor.

"It was rusty and had an aluminium tip on it so I didn't know if it was a toy or a real one.

"I went back to the office and called the police. I asked them what was the best thing to do."

Police closed the Clough Dene B6173 road. Army bomb disposal experts, called in from Catterick, discovered the object was not dangerous.

A police spokesman said: "It was genuine call but when they arrived from Catterick they took one look at it and said it was an old rill round used in practice.

"It was inert and there was no explosive."

The road was reopened at 5.15pm.