TWO young school pals had a narrow escape after unearthing a live grenade as they played in fields just yards from their homes. Sherrie McGloughlin, eight (pictured) and her best pal Sam Knowles aged nine, of Artlebeck Road in Caton, spotted the rusty explosive while they were searching for stones in the stream behind their homes. The bomb disposal unit from Catterick was called out to the scene and detonated the grenade, believed to be a relic from the Second World War, in the hills at Littledale on the outskirts of Lancaster.

Leading firefighter Martyn Sutcliffe said: "The grenade was extremely dangerous. The safety pin was badly corroded and it could have gone off at any time."

Sherrie, a pupil at St Paul's primary school in Brookhouse, and Sam were looking for stones to build a dam across the beck.

Brave Sherrie said: "Sam knew what the grenade was straight away because his Dad used to be in the army."

The two quick-thinking friends who often play on the tree swing next to the stream took the grenade straight to their parents.

A neighbour said: "The children presented Sherrie's dad Alan with the grenade and he nearly had a dicky fit. He called the emergency services straight away."

Sherrie added: "It was great when we found the grenade, it was really exciting. My grandad was in army but I didn't know what a grenade looked like."

Headteacher Brendan Cronin, of St Paul's school, said: "It's a relief that nothing happened to the children, they could have been killed. I was very impressed with the way they responded to the situation and how sensible they were.

"Munitions have often been found at nearby Clougha Pike which was be a firing range during the war."

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