THE BOMB squad were called to an East Lancashire canal last night after two teenagers found what they believed to be an unexploded bomb while out magnet fishing.
A cordon was put in place near Blackburn Road while officers dealt with the incident late and waited for the arrival of the bomb disposal unit.
The teenagers, Ben Yardley and Holly Mellor, were fishing in the Leeds Liverpool Canal when they made the discovery.
Holly and Ben said they did not immediately recognise what it was, but on closer inspection realised it could be an explosive.
They called the police, who arrived in three vans.
Ben, 16, said: “I was amazed when we saw it. We come fishing a lot and find things like pistols too, but to find what could be a bomb from World War One is really amazing.
“I hope we get to keep it if it isn’t live, because we’ve never found something like this before. At first, I panicked, then I called the police as soon as I realised what we had pulled out.”
A police spokesman said: "We were called to Blackburn Road at 5.45pm.
"A cordon was put in place and we liaised with the bomb disposal unit."
The teenagers are avid fishers who run a YouTube channel called Couples Magnet Fishing.
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