CLEARING your new garden for the first time you might expect to find a few old toys or tools lying around.

But one young family had a bit of a shock when they discovered a World War Two grenade at the back of their new home.

Bobby Pidsley raked over the wartime artefact at their housing association property in Tackley and said he "played catch" with it before realising what it was.

The 26-year-old father of two called the police and a bomb disposal unit team and dozens of officers turned up in their back garden within an hour.

The kitchen salesman was clearing a bonfire and pieces of broken glass - in the garden before they moved in - when he came across the unusual object.

Mr Pidsley said: "I raked over something and when I picked it up I didn't know what it was.

"I was practically playing catch with it before I asked my wife, Kerry, what she thought it might be.

"She said it looked like a bomb so I called my dad and he told me to call the police.

"I called 101 and sent the police a picture of it and I immediately had a phone call from a sergeant telling me to get well away from it.

He added: "It all happened very quickly but looking back it was very dangerous particularly for the children.

"I can't believe the housing association allowed us to move in with the garden in that state."

The Pidsley family, including their two children James, three and Jasmine two, moved into their Cottsway housing association property at the start of July.

Unhappy with the overgrown state of their garden they began the task of clearing it and making it safe for their children.

Mrs Pidsley, a full-time mum, said her husband was lucky to be alive.

She said: "We feel very lucky - he had driven over it with the lawnmower twice before he realised it was there.

"If it had blown up he would either have been seriously injured or may not be here.

"We were told to keep the children well away from the garden - which was obviously very scary for them.

Thames Valley Police confirmed it received a call shortly after 8pm on Tuesday reporting that a man had found an object thought to be an historic munition and that officers and a bomb disposal unit safely removed it.

Communications officer at Cottsway, Dee Hempstead, said: "We do understand the resident's concerns about the safety of his garden following this incident.

"We understand the bomb disposal squad have made the area safe, and the police will be taking no further action.

"We have carried out some further clearance of the garden and have arranged to meet with the resident again to discuss additional safety measures to the garden."