Live grenade handed in to police

The mother found a grenade on Golspie beach

A mother found a live hand grenade on a Highland beach and took it to a police office in her daughter's toy bag.

Officers placed the explosive in an empty cell and evacuated the station after Sandra Hinder arrived from Golspie beach on Saturday.

Tests revealed that the firing pin was intact and the grenade still active even though the outer shell was corroded and encrusted with sand.

The World War II grenade was later destroyed by bomb disposal experts.

It was taken back to the beach, which police cordoned off, and destroyed by a controlled explosion.

Constable James Mackay of Northern Constabulary, who was on duty when the woman arrived, said: "The woman was extremely calm and I thought she was going to hand in some lost property.

"When I realised what it was I put it in one of the cells and contacted the bomb squad in Edinburgh.

"I cannot stress to people how important it is to put a marker close to any mystery object they might find and under no circumstances should they attempt to pick it up.

"This woman was extremely fortunate the grenade did not explode."