Here’s why you may have heard a loud ‘bang’ in Banbury – magnet fisherman finds old grenade in canal

Shane Phillips, a local magnet fisherman, found an old grenade in the Oxford Canal in Banbury yesterday, Sunday May 15.

A Banbury magnet fisherman made quite the shocking discovery after pulling an old grenade from the canal in town yesterday (Sunday May 15).

A loud bang could be heard across much of Banbury last night (Sunday May 15) after Shane Phillips found the grenade in the Oxford Canal in Banbury at about 5.50pm.

A bomb squad with the army arrived around 9pm. They collected the grenade inside an armoured box, and detonated it at a safe distance.

The look of shock from Shane Phillips after he found an old grenade while magnet fishing in the Oxford Canal in Banbury on Sunday May 15 (photo from Shane's Facebook page with permission)

Shane spoke to the Banbury Guardian this morning (Monday) about the discovery.

He said: “It was very shocking.

“The pin was missing, and there was no trigger. It was one of them waiting to explode so it was very scary.

"I just didn’t know what to do. Only thing I could do was take the magnet off, and set it to the side and call the police.”

Police and Army bomb disposal officers walk the canal path in Banbury near the site of the discovery of an old grenade on Sunday May 15 (photo from Shane Phillips)

He discovered the grenade in the canal between Rainbow Nursery and the Banbury Train Station close to Bridge Street.

The scary discovery won’t keep Shane from returning for more magnet fishing.

Shanes goes magnet fishing with his friend Steve every Sunday all across Oxfordshire, mostly in the canal.

He has found everything from computer monitors, to money - and last week he found part of a shotgun.

He said: “We mainly go by the bridges where people throw things off.

"One of the first couple of throws I found an Armani watch yesterday morning, and I thought that was my best find – then I found the grenade.”