An unexploded artillery shell has been unearthed yards from Arsenal's multi-million pound training facility in Shenley.

An excavation company was working on the site, in Bell Lane, when a mechanical digger uncovered the device.

The rusty shell was 60cm long and approximately 18cm wide and had no identifiable markings.

Six residential properties in Bell Lane were evacuated after police were alerted at 4.45pm last Friday.

Roads including the M25 slip road were closed while an Army bomb disposal unit cordoned off the site and attempted to carry out a controlled explosion.

When the device failed to activate after repeated attempts, it was considered safe enough to be moved to playing fields behind Clore Shalom Jewish Primary school, in Hugo Gryn Way, Shenley.

Residents of Bell Lane were allowed back to their homes on Friday night after spending a few hours being looked after by police at an out-of-town retail park in nearby Barnet Road.

The device, which turned out not to have a fuse, was kept under police guard overnight.

On Saturday the bomb disposal team returned and finally succeeded in detonating it at 9.48am after six failed attempts.

Nobody was injured and Arsenal FC said that no one from the club was affected by the drama.