Residents' shock as bomb squad rushes to Apperley Bridge

Emergency services rushed to Apperley Bridge railway station shortly before 9.30am.

Trains between Leeds and Shipley were disrupted following the discovery of a "solid metal shell" - with all lines blocked and some services cancelled.

Officials initially reported that it was a "wartime bomb" that had been found.

Road closures were put in place on Harrogate Road - and police cordons were also erected in the village.

Bomb disposal officers later said the shell - which was discovered during excavation work taking place near the railway station - posed "no threat" to the public.

The incident was declared over by around 1pm.  

Officers in Apperley Bridge after the discovery of a shell (Image: Newsquest/Mike Simmonds)

When the Telegraph & Argus visited the scene, a woman who lives near the railway station said: "I'm surprised and quite shocked by it all.

"You just don't expect something like this to happen around here - it's usually such a sleepy and quiet place.

"My husband phoned me asking if we'd need to be moved away but thankfully it's not come to that.

"It sounds like it was discovered while they were doing work on the railway recently."

A man who was visiting someone in Apperley Bridge said: "They told me it was a device from World War Two but obviously we can't be 100 per cent sure at the moment. Pretty dramatic if it is.

Police at the railway station (Image: Newsquest/Mike Simmonds)

"It's caused some disruption on the trains but it's good the line's now reopened - it means I can get back to Doncaster."

Another man said: "It's all pretty dramatic.

"It's interesting how we're hearing about wartime devices being found all of a sudden.

"There was that one down south the other day."

Another resident said: "It's all very surprising."

Network Rail's image of the shell (Image: Network Rail)

One man, who was due to go to work in Bradford city centre before his bus was cancelled, described the incident as "a bit scary".

In its initial statement, British Transport Police (BTP) said: "We were called to Apperley Bridge railway station just before 9.30am on February 27 to reports of an unexploded ordinance found near the station during excavation work taking place."

BTP later said: "To further update, Explosive Ordinance Disposal attended the location and confirmed the ordinance is a solid metal shell and poses no threat to the public."

A spokesperson for Network Rail added: "The bomb squad examined the device and it was discovered that it wasn't explosive in nature and of no threat."