A MUM has told of her horror after finding a live unexploded bomb in her loft which may have been lying there for a century.

Having hired people to help clear her property ahead of moving house from Victoria Road, Clacton, Sandra Sheehan was told a soldier’s box dating back to the First World War had been found in her loft.

While the 56-year-old sifted through its contents, she was shocked to find a 30mm unexploded ordinance device inside.

Unaware it was still live, she played with it and even joked with those helping her that she was going to throw it for them to catch.

Mrs Sheehan was horrified when she realised it was, in fact, still live.

“It’s not what you’re expecting to find in your loft at all, I didn’t know what to make of it,” she said.

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“It got played with a little bit, as ridiculous as that sounds.

“Having researched it a little more, I learnt if it had a certain marking on it then it was actually still live and unexploded.

“I called the police and told them what we found and, after sending them a picture, they were at my door within 20 minutes. They then said the Army was on its way.”

Bomb squad soldiers x-rayed the device and secured it in the back of the bomb unit’s truck, before escorting it to Clacton beach.

Mrs Sheehan added: “We went down to the seafront and they dug a hole between the Martello tower and the pier.

“It seemed to explode before they had planned as a soldier was still standing there.

“I just burst into tears at the shock of it all. It was just sinking in how serious something which at first seemed like a bit of a joke actually was.

“The fact it has been in my loft for such a long time and then knowing how volatile it actually was.

“It’s still a bit shocking and I haven’t quite got my head around it yet.

“If it went off in my loft it could’ve wiped out three or four houses with people inside.

“My 83-year-old mum lives with me and my daughter is often here and she’s pregnant - it doesn’t bear thinking about what could’ve happened.”