A BOMB squad was called to a quiet Dorset village yesterday following reports that an 'unexploded device' was allegedly found in a resident's garden.

The B3157 was closed in both directions for hours, between the junctions of Abbotsbury Hill and Rodden Row, with the bomb squad in attendance after police received reports at 9.04am on Monday, July 25, of 'a possible unexploded device' in Market Street, Abbotsbury.

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A 100-metre cordon was put in place for the safety of the public, with residents and members of the public in the vicinity being evacuated from the area.

An Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit (EOD) had been requested to attend in order to check the item and make it safe.

Heavy traffic was being reported prior to the road being reopened shortly before 2.30pm.

A spokesperson for Dorset Police said: "Dorset Police received a report at 9.04am on Monday, July 25, of a possible unexploded device in Market Street in Abbotsbury, Weymouth.

"A 100-metre cordon was put in place for the safety of members of the public and the B3157 West Street was closed between the junctions with Abbotsbury Hill and Rodden Row. The EOD has attended and removed the item. The cordon and road closures were lifted at around 2.10pm.

"We would like to thank the public for their patience and understanding while the road closure was in place."

Dave Wedlock runs The Ilchester Arms Hotel on Market Street which had to be closed and evacuated as a result of the cordon.

He said: "Police came round just before 12pm and told us that we had to evacuate."

Mr Wedlock said they saw about four police cars in total and one bomb squad van and saw the device be taken to a nearby field for a controlled demolition.

He said he had been told that the device was a maritime flare which had been found in a garden just a few doors down from the pub.

Gary from Chapel Lane Stores said he was supposed to start work at 1pm but was called and told not to come in until later as the store was within the cordon range.

He said that police told him that it was a maritime flare which was probably about two and half foot to three foot long.

"Apparently it still had explosives in it and was a rather big flare," he said. "All the traffic was turning around because they cordoned it all off and they had to tell everyone to evacuate."

Mr Wedlock added: "When police came to tell us we had to leave, we thought they were joking."

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Franke Gerlach, a German tourist visiting the local swannery, said she had to wait for more than three hours for a bus due to the road closure.

She said: "They rerouted buses so that they didn't pass through here at all."

She said that police had extended the cordon to the Swan Inn and were directing traffic into the pub's car park to turn around.

Swanage resident, Udo, said he was visiting the village's subtropical gardens for the day when the bomb squad descended on the area, but said that police were very friendly and explained everything that was happening to them.