A live grenade was found in some green waste at the Richmond Recycling Centre on Easter Sunday.
Nelson Police called in the Defence Force bomb disposal squad after a grenade was found. A staff member at the centre called police after finding a rusty grenade in a pile of dirt about 1pm. Police cordoned the area off until the bomb squad arrived from Christchurch.
About 9.20pm the grenade was detonated and the explosion was heard several kilometres away. The experts confirmed the grenade was live at the time and posed a serious risk.
Police would like to remind members of the public that all military ordnance should be treated as live and very dangerous. Anyone who locates any old bombs or munitions should not touch them and should call 111 immediately.
