A road has been closed and the public warned to keep away from the area after a magnet fisherman dredged up a suspected mortar.

Police were called to Costessey Lane in Drayton after the suspected explosive device was found at about midday on Sunday, June 21.

Experts from the Explosive Ordnance Unit have been called in to inspect the item that had been removed from the River Wensum.

Costessey Lane, which links Ringland Road and Ringland Lane, following the course of the river, remains closed to traffic.

MORE: Friends find ‘live grenade’ in the River WensumPolice said the alert followed people magnet fishing dredging up several pieces of metal one of which is suspected of being a mortar.

In a tweet they added: “There is no risk to the wider public at this time, but please avoid the area.”

Magnet fishing, where people hunt for metal submerged in canals and rivers using strong magnets, is increasingly popular.

In April 2019 two men using the technique found a live First World War rifle grenade in a stretch of the River Wensum near Grape’s Hill in Norwich.