Blandford comes to standstill after three friends find what they believed to be a bomb in the River Stour

Dorchester man Stephen Hill said he was searching for scrap metal along with friends in the River Stour next to the Marsh & Ham Car Park yesterday morning when the group came across a long metal object.

READ MORE: As it happened: updates as cordon put in place in Blandford

Mr Hill said the device was pulled out by his friend Grant Osborne, from Blandford, along with Weymouth man William Wigley, who immediately put the suspicious object in a cold bucket of water before contacting police.

(LtR) Stephen Hill, Grant Osbourne, William Wigley, and the 'explosive device'

"We came across the object after magnet fishing in the river," said Mr Hill.

"My friend Grant pulled it out and we rang the police straight away. This was just after noon.

"It was quite a shock and we were surprised to come across such a suspicious object, which we thought was a type of bomb.

"As a metal detectorist, I would say it's common to come across these sorts of objects."

Once on the scene, police put up a 100-metre cordon just after 2pm.

As a precaution, police closed West Street both ways between Bournemouth Road and B3082 Market Place, Blandford.

Blandford brought to standstill after 'explosive device' fished from river. Pictures: Stephen Hill and Dorset Police

Mr Hill added: "We're all members of Dorset Magnet Fishing Community and we collect general scrap to clear rivers and fields of rusty, sharp objects so people don't injure themselves - also it helps the environment."

Joe Griffiths from The Greyhound, in Market Place, said the car park by Morrisons, in West Street and the bridge next to it were closed off due to police dealing with 'a suspicious package'.

A spokesman from Dorset Police said: "We were called at 1.11pm on Wednesday, November 3 to a report that a possible explosive device had been found in the river by people fishing near to West Street in Blandford.

"A 100-metre cordon was put in place in the area for the safety of members of the public. The EOD attended the location and assessed the item, which was found to be nothing suspicious and not an ordnance device. The cordon was lifted at around 4.40pm."

Picture: Stephen Hill

The device found in Blandford comes after an ‘unknown object’ was blown up in a controlled explosion on Weymouth Beach after the object was found in the water by a member of the public on a boat at Weymouth Marina on Tuesday, October 12.

Police and the bomb disposal team were called to The Junction Sports and Leisure Centre in Station Approach, Broadstone, on Monday (November 1) morning after an 'unknown object' had been located on the tennis court.