Man keeps finger on 'bomb' button

Mr Page plunged the object taped to his hand into sand

A man held onto what he thought was an unexploded mine for three hours fearing he had pressed its trigger - only to be told it was a discarded car part.

David Page, 40, found the device in a load of sand delivered to his home in Coltishall, Norfolk, on Monday.

His wife called police who told him not to let go and he taped his finger onto the button.

A bomb disposal unit from Colchester, Essex arrived before midnight and declared the device to be safe.

The bowling ball-sized item was later found to be part of a hydraulic suspension system from a car or a tractor.

Quick thinking

Mr Page told BBC News Online: "When I pressed the button, I thought, what have I done - this could be an explosive device.

The item is thought to be a car or tractor part

"I thought, with a mine, normally if you lift your foot up, it would trigger."

After Mr Page, a father of five, showed his wife Joanne his predicament she advised him to go outdoors, where he later plunged his hand into a container of sand.

Mrs Page stayed with him throughout the ordeal and kept him warm with a hot water bottle and blankets until the object was found to be safe.

Mr Page said the bomb disposal crew had previously blown up a similar object to the one he found, so they took his "bomb" away.

He added: "They're going to put it in their museum, to let people know what they really are.

"They make these items in a bomb-like shape and people do think they're explosive."