An inactive explosive device found in Southampton last week was "just metres from a gas main".

Buildings were evacuated and a Royal Navy bomb disposal team called in after an unexploded device was found in the city centre last week, March 14.

Police were called at 10.20am to reports of  a small piece of "suspected exploded ordnance" being found during excavations in the area of Cumberland Place in Southampton.

The workmen dug up the device as part of their work on the city council’s ring road re-development which caused much fear for those evacuated, but it turned out to be inactive.

The Echo understands that due to the positioning of the device, if it had been live it could have been extremely serious, which led to the large cordon.

A source told the Echo: “[It was] some kind of historic explosive – which is not surprising as the city was heavily bombed during the war.

“If the device had been a live explosive, it could have been a dark day for the city as it was just meters from a massive gas main that goes through a lot of the city centre.

“It could have meant that Southampton exploded – that’s why there was a such massive cordon.”

A spokesperson for Hampshire Police said at the time: "We were called at 10.20am to a report that a small piece of suspected unexploded ordnance was discovered during excavations in the area of Cumberland Place, Southampton."

"Officers have set up a cordon in the area and have evacuated nearby properties as a precaution."

A 100-metre cordon was set up by police, but shortly after 1pm, the cordons were taken down as the device was found to be "non-ordnance".

A Royal Navy spokesperson said: “Bomb disposal experts from Bravo Squadron of the Royal Navy’s Diving Threat and Exploitation Group were called to Southampton city centre on March 14 at the request of Hampshire Police.

“Upon arrival, the item was found to be non-ordnance.”