School Evacuated As Girl Shows Class Grenade

A young girl caused a bomb scare in Australia when she took a hand grenade in to school to show her classmates.

Students at the Hunter Christian School in Newcastle, New South Wales, were evacuated when the 11-year-old produced the grenade at a show-and-tell lesson. She thought it was a money box.

The device reportedly resembled a World War Two "pineapple" type grenade.

School Principle Boyd Allen said: "One of our students brought innocently to school what she thought was a money box.

"She showed it to the teacher... and the teacher has been understandably alarmed because it just didn't look like a money box... it actually looked like a grenade.

"He's admittedly been concerned and contacted our head of primary and the two of them consequently arrived in my office with it in hand!"

The pupils were taken to a nearby park while police and bomb experts examined the device. Local media reported that it was inactive.

Police Duty Officer Gerard Lawson said: "We've had it appraised by our local bomb techs who have sent some photos off to the department of defence who are concerned enough to actually send people from Sydney to come and take possession of the item."

The pupils were sent home for the rest of the day.