Terrified revellers were caught up in an explosive scare where a fake hand grenade is believed to have been thrown inside a popular High Street bar.

A man was charged with public order offences and assaulting an officer after the incident, which took place in Three Wise Monkeys, in High Street, Colchester, at around 6.30pm on Saturday.

After an altercation with bar staff witnesses said a man reached into his bag and launched an unidentified object behind the bar.

He is believed to have claimed the item was a hand grenade, however, there was no explosion and the item is understood to have been a toy version of the real thing.

Concerned members of the public called the police straight after the object was thrown with officers arriving the scene just after 6.30pm.

A spokesman for Essex Police said: “We were contacted at 6.30pm with reports a man had thrown something inside the bar and suggested there was a bomb.

“Kirk Rutter, 46, of Warren Lingley Way, Tiptree, was arrested and charged with two offences under the Public Order Act as well as assaulting a constable.

“He has been released on bail to appear at Colchester Magistrates’ Court on October 29.”

Mike Lilley, councillor responsible for public safety, said revellers should be able to enjoy the town’s nightlife without having to worry about these kind of incidents.

He added: “It is really quite shocking something like this would happen.

“We live in a garrison town and for someone to make light of something like this is not on.

“No matter how much people might have had to drink, things like this are not acceptable.

“It is unacceptable to scare the public when they are out enjoying themselves in the town.

“Hopefully the magistrates and police will deal with this appropriately and we do not have anything similar happen again.”

Bosses at Three Wise Monkeys said they did not wish to comment any further on Saturday evening’s incident.

The bar and restaurant, which is set over four floors, has become one of Colchester’s most popular nightspots since it opened.

Earlier this year it was announced a second branch of the business was set to open in the former Lloyds Tavern in Ipswich.