Undefined Explosive Device (UED) event in Cornwall, Godophin Cross area, United Kingdom on Sat 30th July 2022

An entire village had to be evacuated by police after what was thought to be an old fence post triggered a bomb alert. Hundreds of residents in Godolphin Cross near Helston were told to get out of their homes and 200-metre police cordon was set up after a suspected unexploded bomb was discovered in a garden near the primary school. The whole incident happened when an elderly resident made the discovery in her garden and told her landlord about it. It is understood that her landlord then took a picture of the object, called 999 and passed the picture onto the police as a precaution. Devon and Cornwall Police attended the incident in the village, that is home to about 700 people, and after seeing what the metallic object was, took the decision to call in the bomb squad. Devon and Cornwall Police officers later knocked on doors in the village, made famous in 2017 when its village hall was saved by a gift from Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Emir of Dubai, after villagers pointed out to him the historic link between their village and Francis Godolphin, 2nd Earl of Godolphin, who bred from the legendary Godolphin Arabian, asking families to leave their homes and go to Carleen Village Hall as a precaution. A spokeswoman for the force confirmed that officers were alerted to the incident at 2.08pm on Saturday, July 30 with officers being on scene by 3pm. She said: "We called the bomb squad and they came to assess the situation. And in the end it turned out to be a fence post. Better safe than sorry." The police spokeswoman said the Royal Navy ordnance disposal unit was out of the village by 6.20pm and villagers were allowed back into their homes.