LIVE World War II shells were found in a house in Brynmawr yesterday - sparking a major alert and the evacuation of three streets.

A man renovating his new house uncovered the 63-year-old anti-aircraft shells yesterday.

Residents from three neighbouring streets were told to leave their homes while the Navy Disposal Unit removed the shells from the house in Bailey Street at around midday.

The shells were later destroyed in a controlled explosion at Garnlydan Moor.

Householder Christopher Mole, 26, uncovered the two 18-inch shell cases.

"I saw them and thought to myself, 'They should not be there' and so I went next door to get my dad," the factory worker said.

His father, Terry, 53, who lives next door to his son, went to investigate. "I had a look at them, realised what they were and phoned the police," he said.

Both shells were behind a panel, and tucked under the first step of the staircase in Christopher's new house, bought just three weeks ago. He said: "I've been gutting it and the stairs were the only thing left."

His father added: "I tried to see if they were live but I couldn't tell. But they were from the Second World War because they had 1941 written on them."

Gwent Police immediately cordoned off a 50-metre area surrounding the house, as advised by bomb squad experts, and residents from Bailey Street, Lower Bailey Street and Worcester Street were evacuated.

Neighbour Victor Wright, 82, of Worcester Street, who watched the drama unfold from behind police lines said: "I used to be in the RAF and those shells could do quite a bit of damage."

Mr Wright left his house at around midday to go to the shops, but when he returned minutes later the police had already sealed off the street where he lived.

"I didn't know what was going on. I thought there had been a car accident." Last Thursday, homes in a Newport estate were evacuated after a pipe bomb was discovered.