A SCHOOL sports day was cancelled and residents were warned to stay indoors after an "unexploded bomb" was discovered in a garden yesterday.

The mortar was found in the rear garden of Peter Jolley's home in Holcombe Road, Greenmount, Bury, when he was digging.

His garden backs on to playing fields used by pupils at Greenmount Primary School who had planned a sports day.

But following the discovery police advised the school to cancel the event until the bomb had been removed.

Mr Jolley found the mortar when his spade hit something hard. When he saw the object was metallic and had fins he called police who identified the 10 inch shell as a mortar.

Bomb disposal experts came to the house early in the afternoon and took the explosive away, later declaring that it had been inert.

Mr Jolley's wife Mavis said: "It was very exciting, we had children coming around gossiping about this being the place where the bomb had been."

Greenmount headteacher Mr Jan Howard said: "We had not option but to cancel the sports day which was sad for the children. However, they found the incident quite exciting."

When we were told by the police that an unexploded bomb had been found, they said there was no real panic but advised us to keep the children away from the houses.