A Second World War armour-piercing rocket had to be blown up after it was discovered at a quarry near Great Yarmouth.

The Royal Air Force sent a bomb disposal squad from RAF Wittering to carry out a controlled explosion after the device was uncovered in Burgh Castle today.

It was found in a quarry called Welcome Pit, in Butt Lane, just after 8am this morning.

Police were initially called, but then the explosive ordnance team was sent to deal with the wartime remnant.

It was detonated just before 3pm.

Kevin Lee, manager of Folkes Plant and Aggregates Ltd, which runs the quarry, said the rocket shell was found when material which was brought into the quarry was being sorted.

He said: 'It was in a load of soil and brick rubble which was brought into the tip and we found it when we were processing it. We called the police straight away. It was about 2ft long and was an old rocket shell.

'The bomb disposal unit were called in and one part of the quarry was isolated while they dealt with it. It was a fairly big explosion when they detonated it and the bomb man said it had about 60lbs of explosive in it.'