How child's show-and-tell exhibit led to school evacuation and bomb squad call-out

Pupil made bigger-than-expected impact by taking artillery shell into class

A primary school was evacuated after a pupil took an artillery shell to show-and-tell.

It is believed a year five pupil at St Margaret's Church of England Primary School in the village of Bowers Gifford, Essex, took the 20cm (8-inch) artillery shell into class yesterday.

An email was sent to parents asking them to collect their children after the alert at about 1.30pm.

The device was taken to a nearby field while 250 pupils gathered at a safe distance.

Army bomb disposal teams were called and decided the device posed no danger.

A spokesman for St Margaret's Church of England School said: "We take the safety and wellbeing of all students extremely seriously.

"We took the precaution of calling police community support officers and then followed their expert advice."

PA