A SUSPECTED wartime bomb found in Carlisle has been found to be a replica, according to police.

Emergency services and bomb disposal experts on the scene at Marconi Road, part of the Burgh Road industrial estate, have been stood down.

Cumbria Police, on Twitter, also confirmed the Army's Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) unit had been at the scene.

They tweeted: "Everyone being stood down in Marconi Road. OED attended and the device was found to be a non-live, WWII replica device. Thank you for your patience."

Buildings were evacuated after the discovery of the shell.

A 25-metre cordon was in place around the two-foot shell after an auctioneer's militaria valuer raised the alarm.

It had been reduced from an original 100 metre one imposed by firefighters following advice from bomb disposal experts.

The specialist EOD team based at Catterick in north Yorkshire were called to the industrial estate, on the western side of the city.

At least two buildings and the estimated 25 people in them were evacuated.

Houses along Burgh Road were visited by firefighters. Residents were being advised by fire crews to stay away from their windows until the incident was resolved.

Firefighters were able to leave the scene shortly before 2pm following advice from bomb disposal experts.

Group manager Craig Drinkald, from Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service, was able to send a photograph of the shell to bomb disposal experts.

Mr Drinkald said: "They're very confident that it is a training bomb that was used to train pilots so we've been able to reduce the cordon to 25 metres and the police are just there now manning the area until the EOD team arrives.

"We've also been able to take down the cordon on Marconi Road and the industrial estate is back in use."

Steve Lee, of Liverpool, is the retired Merseyside firefighter who raised the alarm.

Mr Lee is a visiting militaria valuer for Thomson Roddick, based on the industrial estate's Marconi Road.

Describing the discovery, he said: "We'd got some stuff in from a house clearance and I was starting to go through the items this morning.

"This was among it and at first I thought it was a ship's log but when I started taking a proper look I thought it was a bomb with its safety pin in it. The pin had some words on a label too.

"I think if it was a training round it would usually be painted red or something or have some grooves on it but there were no markings on this. I couldn't tell you how old it was or which country it's from but it looks like a First World War bomb. It is that torpedo shape everyone will know."

Mr Lee, who served in the Royal Signals in the 1960s, added: "What's thrown me is that it is chrome plated.

"People use them as ornaments but if it is a fake or a dud you'll usually have a pin with P on it."

He took the suspected bomb outside and laid it on soft ground behind buildings in Marconi Road and the fire service was called.

The auction house was having a valuation event this morning when the alarm was raised.

It is understood the items may have arrived at the auction house from a house clearance just north of the border, in south west Scotland.

Mr Lee, who served with Merseyside fire service for 25 years, said: "You can't take a chance on things like this, it's people's lives you're dealing with.

"People don't realise about things like this that they are real. I've had incidents where I've had to hand in firearms to police and I've seen what these things can do when they explode."

Emergency services were called out the area at about 10.40am today.