"The most exciting day I've had gardening."

Nub News has tracked down the gardener who found an unexploded shell from World War Two while working in a Letchworth garden this morning, Friday (November 10.)

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Explosive experts raced to Letchworth after World War Two ordnance was found by a gardener working near to the town centre on Friday.

Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Specialists attended Bird's Hill, near to Station Road, after a device was found by Stanley Baker this morning.

Stanley, who runs Nature Boy Garden Services, shared his story with Nub News, after what turned out to be a very unusual start to his working day.

"I was working in an alley on Bird's Hill behind County Properties," recalled Stanley, after a morning he'd never forget.

"I was cutting a bramble patch with a hedge cutter, when I came across what can only be described as a 'missile-shaped thing' sitting there among rubbish, bottles and beer cans that you'd normally find in such a place.

"It had a long silver tip with a rusty steel base."

However, instead of panicking, Stanley was the calmest man in Letchworth and called 999, in what turned out to be quite a surreal conversation with the call handler.

"I said to them: 'I've think I've found a bomb,' recounted Stanley.

"The person on the other end of the phone replied: 'What makes you think it's a bomb?'

"I said, um, because it looks like a bomb."

Police were duly dispatched, and cordoned off Bird's Hill from around 1015am, with the area closed to motorists and residents. Station Road, near to the roundabout connecting to Norton Way North and Norton Way South, were all also closed off to pedestrians and traffic, as police investigated.

Concerned citizen Stanley then went into the nearby County Properties estate agents and, as calmly as possible, warned staff.

Understated Stanley told Nub News: "Staff knew something was up, but it was best I told them as calmly as possible that I thought I'd found a bomb. Naturally there was en element of surprise."

The southern end of the normally busy Station Road houses McColl's convenience store as well USA Chicken, with Country Properties estate agents on the other side of the roundabout on Howard Park Corner - with many businesses having to evacuate as a precaution while police and specialist teams investigated.

EOD specialists detect, locate, render safe, and dispose of explosive threats, including chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons, as well as improvised explosive devices (IED).

However, in this particular case, EOD experts were called to analyse Stanley's World War Two find - before declaring it was safe.

Hertfordshire Constabulary told Letchworth Nub News that officers attended the scene, and a cordon and road closures were put in place as a safety precaution while Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Specialists were contacted and who then subsequently attended the scene.

"The EOD inspected the object, confirmed the device was not active and have safely removed it," Herts Police confirmed, adding: "The cordon and road closures were then lifted at around 1240pm."

With the threat now removed, serene Stanley recounted what he did next.

"I had a cup tea," mild-mannered Stanley said, adding: "Then I went back to work.

"I must admit, it was the most exciting day I've had gardening," Stanley concluded.

What Stanley found. The World War Two ordnance that gardener Stanley Baker found while working in Letchworth on Friday morning. CREDIT: Stanley Baker

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If you'd like to use Stanley's outstanding gardening services you can contact him by searching for Nature Boy Garden Services on Facebook