FOR three years, Patience Shelley experienced anger and frustration every time the weather took a turn for the worse.

With each downpour, Mrs Shelley, 37, and her husband Stephen were forced to place sandbags at their front gate as the overflowing drain outside their house continually threatened to flood their home.

The couple, of Courtney Street, Newport, would regularly sweep the leaves away and poke at the drain with their brush.

And all along they were unaware their prodding broom handle was just inches from an unexploded Second World War shell.

An inspection by council workers yesterday, following a complaint Mrs Shelley made before Christmas, uncovered the 12lb shell and led to a four-hour evacuation of residents as bomb disposal experts moved in.

Mrs Shelley said: "I was shocked to discover the problem was an unexploded shell. I thought they had found drugs or a syringe down there. But then we were being evacuated.

"It's a bit scary to think my husband and I have actually been poking around in a drain with a shell in it."

Time after time Mrs Shelley contacted Newport City Council to demand the problem be fixed. Time after time workers cleared the drain of leaves and rubbish but their efforts never provided the long-term fix needed.

"Every time it has rained heavily since we've been here we've had to put the sandbags up and try to sweep the water away from the house.

"The problem has never really gone away and it was very frustrating.

"Hopefully the problem will be fixed now," Mrs Shelley added.

The 12lb artillery shell was between six and eight inches long and contained explosives.

But police yesterday confirmed the residents of Courtney Street were never in danger as the device was not fused.

It is thought it could have been an anti-aircraft shell used against the Luftwaffe during a raid on Newport in June 1940, during an attack on Pill in October that year, or during a raid on the city in 1941 which left 23 dead.

Up to 30 people were evacuated from 17 houses as a result of the incident at 10am, as reported in later editions of yesterday's Argus. They were allowed back at 2pm.