A man has expressed his shock after an item he uncovered whilst mowing his lawn led to his street being taped off by police.

What began as an innocent query on Reddit soon escalated into more serious matters after he shared a snap of the unusual discovery in the CasualUK subreddit. "What is this thing that I found in my garden while mowing?" he asked.

"Looks like an upside down shell with 1940 printed on it. Possibly a water pump?" Indeed, the small circular item - around an inch below the surface of the soil, displayed a 1940 inscription along with several other markings including "25", "LOT", "RLB" and "C.F."

Alarmed, one Reddit user responded: "Looks like a 25 pounder shell casing, fired. The hole in the middle is the striking point for the strike pin." A second person cautioned: "I’d ring 101 and explain the situation to them! Try not to hit it with a shovel or stand on it."

A third agreed: "Yep, that’s a British WW2 artillery shell. It’s almost certainly inert, but if you want an afternoon of fun and controlled explosions, call the police and tell them about it." Whilst a fourth Reddit user exclaimed: "As others have said, WW2 shell. CALL 999 IMMEDIATELY, AND MOVE AWAY. The police would rather come out and deal with it even if it is inert, than you blow up yourself and the neighbours. They take this very seriously."

After others questioned if the man was safe, he later returned to the post to offer a series of updates. Confirming he was "still alive", he revealed the police had been called and had request images of the find.

"Got a reply back from my photos email," he added. "They will get back to me when 'they know what to do'. We're still having our BBQ though. Too nice weather."

Soon the man shared another photo to the post, showing a police officer inspecting the suspected artillery in his garden. Awaiting advice from bomb squad," he said. "Possibly have to shut roads and 100m cordon. BBQ POSTPONED." Moments later, meanwhile, he returned with another follow-up image, confirming the street had indeed been closed to the public.

He continued: "Hanging about waiting for EOD [Explosive Ordnance Disposal] to finish their chips and get over here. May as well have a beer while waiting for bomb disposal."

The man subsequenly shared a positive on conclusion of the EOD's investigation, confirming: "All clear. EOD came and were awesome. Hindered a little by Walter whippet, our dog. Thanks for all the support."

And he closed the tale by joking that having been declared safe, the metallic find was now serving as a perfect beer bottle cooler as his barbecue resumed. "This has been fun!" one Reddit user praised of the saga. "Thanks OP! And I'm glad you and - more importantly - Walter aren't scattered across a large swathe of rural England."

A second person added: "Glad they let you keep it. That's awesome." A third agreed: "Great souvenir and what a talking point!" Whilst a fourth person praised: "Interesting story to tell, a new ornament and sunshine! Seems like a damn fine Saturday to me. Also, you've inspired me to sort out my garden!"