A replica of the Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch was found under a hydrant cover in Shoreditch, East London, causing the bomb squad to be called and creating a general tizzy in nearby pubs and shops. Police evacuated their bowels and the streets with excitement and, after discovering that it was, in fact, a toy, they went off to hunt down the killer rabbit could have been the grenade’s intended target.
An spokeswoman for Islington police confirmed that the device was a toy and that had been no danger to the public
Local businesses criticised the police for taking so long to realise there was no threat.
Alberto Romanelli, owner of the Windmill put that was evacuated, said: “I lost a good hour’s worth of business.”