THE army carried out a controlled explosion in Addingham yesterday after a member of the public discovered what is thought to be a WWII mortar.

Police officers from Ilkley attended the incident at Bark Lane after being notified at 2pm and put a 50m cordon in place whilst waiting for the Army's Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit.

A spokesperson for West Yorkshire Police said: "At about 2pm on Wednesday 1st April 2020, West Yorkshire Police received a report from a member of the public who had come across what he thought was a World War 2 mortar shell in a field near Bark Lane.

"Officers contacted the Army’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit, who turned out to the scene and carried out a controlled detonation.

"There was no risk to the public and due to the location, the incident had no impact on the local community."

The device carried all the markings and resemblance of a WWII mortar, the West Yorkshire Police spokesperson added.

Bark Lane resident Philip Robins who took photographs of the incident said: "My wife and I went for a ‘lockdown walk’ about mid afternoon on Wednesday and noticed two police vans parked opposite our house, where the Dales Way footpath descends towards the river and the suspension bridge. A policeman was stationed on the other side of the river at the northern end of the suspension bridge.

"About an hour later we returned from our walk and found the police vans still there and after a few moments a RLC Bomb Disposal lorry arrived on the scene.

"I did not talk to the policemen or the three soldiers attending the incident but from what I overheard I think an item of WWII ordinance (possibly a mortar shell) had been found near the river somewhere upstream towards High Mill."