HIGHER FOLDS was sealed off on Tuesday morning when contractors unearthed a World War 11 "bomb".

Police cleared residents from Osborne Road and Queensway, and warned the two estate schools to keep children indoors until the shell was declared safe.

Workmen were building a new fence in June Rogerson's Osborne Road garden, as part of regeneration work on the estate, when they struck the missile.

Central Watch at Wigan was called and police, fire and ambulances were sent to the site, which was sealed off from Green Lane. Residents were evacuated to neighbours' homes or the Stirling Close Community Centre, which was declared a rest centre, and the bomb squad was brought in from Liverpool.

They declared the 18 inch mortar, which had the nose cone and fuse intact but contained no explosives, safe and took it away.

Janet Southern, of Osborne Close, who lives opposite the find, said: "We thought it was a joke at first.

"The workmen dug it up, put it on the path, then decided they ought to do something about it.

"The police came and evacuated about 20 of us to the community centre, but all the excitement was all over in a couple of hours."

The estate was re-opened at 12.45pm.

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