A keen treasure hunter sparked a major explosives alert in Perthshire town when he discovered what is believed to be an unexploded wartime bomb.
Police locked down Market Park in Crieff after Archie McGilligan reported his surprise find just before 5pm on Wednesday.
The 49-year-old said he had been looking for old coins when he came across the foot-long metal shell, buried underground.
An army bomb disposal unit was called to the site. The team, from Edinburgh, decided to leave the object where it was and return for it in the morning.
Police said the park would remained cordoned off overnight, but stressed there was no risk to the public.
Mr McGilligan said he was using a metal detector near the edge of the park when he discovered the bomb.
“The next thing I got this strong beep from my detector,” he said. “I dug up this wee dart shaped thing. It was a mortar shell bomb.
Crieff park now reopened after last night's bomb alert. The shell found buried beside a wall has been removed. pic.twitter.com/GToKJmSHn6
— Jamie Buchan (@C_JBuchan) March 5, 2015
“I dialled 999 straight away.”
He said: “I never did find any coins though. Some people find gold and I find bombs!”
A police spokesman said explosive experts would return to the scene in the morning.
“It was too dark for them to work this evening,” he said. “They need to come back when it’s light. They might have to come back with things like sandbags to dispose of the item.”
Explosive experts came to remove the Crieff bomb earlier this morning. Apparently it was a dummy used for training in WWII.
— Jamie Buchan (@C_JBuchan) March 5, 2015
Police Scotland later added: “On attendance officers confirmed the presence of a metal cylinder-shaped object which was described as approx 8 inches long, 1 inches in diameter, a 2-3 inch fin at the rear and was similar to a small shell.
“To ensure public safety a corden was placed around the area and military bomb disposal officers were requested to attend.”