Police evacuated the building site at the Castle Mead development in Trowbridge and alerted bomb disposal experts today, after a military shell was discovered in the area at around 11.30am.

Officers put a 50m cordon in place, while they waited for the Explosive Ordinance Disposal team to arrive from Tidworth.

The cordon has since been removed as the shell has been safely removed.

A Wiltshire Police spokesman said: “Wiltshire Police were called at 11.35am on February 16 to the Castle Mead site, Trowbridge, following reports of a shell being found during excavation.

“A cordon was put in place and EOD in Tidworth were called to the scene at 12.33pm and removed the item.”