STAFF at a dredging company working at the former Vosper Thornycroft site in Southampton were evacuated today after discovering an old Second World War shell.

The explosive device was found approximately 150 metres from Victoria Road while workers at Edmund Nuttall were dredging the nearby water.

The bomb squad arrived at the site at around 12pm and are expected to carry out a controlled explosion this afternoon.

A police spokesman said the evacuation was a precaution and there was no immediate danger to people.