PUPILS and teachers were evacuated from John Bentley School today while a controlled explosion was carried out in the grounds.

The Calne school found what it described as an 'item of historic ordnance' tucked away in a cupboard, leading to a partial evacuation of the premises while police destroyed their find.

Following the incident, the school released a statement explaining: “This morning, in the course of sorting through a storage area used by staff, we came across an item of historic ordnance which appears to have been brought into the school by a former teacher as a learning aid.

"The decision was made immediately to take the precautionary measures of evacuating a proportion of the school and contacting the police for further advice.

"The students and staff evacuated the area calmly, and the police attended the school without delay.

"After examination of the item, the decision was taken by the police to carry out a controlled explosion to eliminate any possible risks.

"We would like to thank the police for their swift action, and are pleased that situation is now dealt with.”