WORKMEN digging up the entrance road to a school received a shock when they found three unexploded artillery shells.

Bomb disposal experts were called to Cedar Park School in Cedar Avenue, Hazlemere, on Tuesday morning and evacuated people from the area.

The team from 621 Explosives Ordnance Disposal Squadron, based at RAF Northolt, discovered the shells were not dangerous because they had not been fired and they were removed for disposal.

Work was being carried out, using a mechanical digger, on a new entrance to the school when the shells were discovered.

A workman said: "They were about ten inches long and three inches round. I just left them there and contacted the police."

Caretaker Esther Warner said: "I was by the swimming pool and they came and told me I had to go home."

The Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) unit removed the shells, leaving the workmen to carry on with the work.

Staff Sergeant Colin Massie, who attended the incident said: "They were reasonably safe and I do not know how they got there.

"They were First World War era shells and had not been fired so they were relatively safe. One was a solid shot one and one was a gunpowder shell.

"If they had been fired we would have been worried about the fusing mechanism but as it was that was not a problem. We recovered them for further demolition."

He added: "Unfortunately there are a lot of old munitions lying around the country. We have been out four times this week so far."