A block of flats in Dundee was locked down on Monday after someone took home a suspected bomb they had found on Broughty Ferry beach.
Police and bomb disposal experts evacuated residents from two blocks on Clepington Road, near the junction with Arklay Street, after the alarm was raised at around 11am.
The Courier understands that emergency services were called when the unsuspecting local realised that the item, which had been picked up on the beach and taken to one of the flats, could be explosive.
It was later established that it was not a bomb and residents have since returned home.
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Officers were called to attend Clepington Road in Dundee on Monday after the discovery of a potential unexploded, historical ordnance device.
“A cordon was established and specialists contacted to attend and assess the item.
“EOD (explosive ordnance disposal) attended and removed the item, which was not believed to be a bomb.”
The spokesperson confirmed that officers have now been stood down and residents allowed to return to their flats.
One woman, who did not want to be named, said police came to her door at around noon.
She said: “I was in the shower – I thought it was the postie at first.
“The officer at the door said I needed to leave now.
“They couldn’t tell me how long I’d be out for. Given the ongoing roadworks I thought there was maybe a gas leak.
“It’s certainly a surprise to hear what’s happened.”
Another woman said two blocks of flats on Clepington Road had been evacuated.
She added: “There was a police officer standing at both closes.”
‘I’ve never seen anything like it’
One man who lived opposite the incident said the bomb disposal team left the scene after a matter of minutes.
He added: “They (bomb squad) must have arrived around 6pm. Given the ongoing roadworks I assumed something had maybe been unearthed under the road.
“The police were at the flats throughout the day but the bomb disposal officers were only here for around 10 minutes and left the scene.
“In all my time living here over the last 24 years I’ve never seen anything like it.”
