A stash of about 80 grenades dating back to the Second World War was found on a building site in East Sussex yesterday . The explosives were discovered by workmen on the site in Eastbourne and are thought to have been phosphorus incendiary grenades created as improvised anti-tank weapons at a time when Britain was facing a Nazi invasion following the Dunkirk evacuation in 1940 . The grenades , marked AW Bomb 1940 , were made by chemical company Albright & Wilson in the form of bottles filled with an incendiary liquid . A stash of about 80 grenades dating back to the Second World War was found on a building site on this road in Eastbourne . Police revealed that one or two of the grenades had exploded after they were discovered , sending up a sheet of flame , but that no one was hurt . Bomb disposal experts , from Folkestone in Kent , later carried out a controlled explosion to destroy the remaining cache of grenades . A police spokesman said : 'During this activity the A2021 King 's Drive was closed to pedestrians and traffic between its junction with King 's Avenue and the Rodmill roundabout outside Eastbourne District General Hospital . 'Local householders were warned to expect the explosion by police community support officers and council workers knocked on doors beforehand . ' They are thought to have been phosphorus incendiary grenades created as improvised anti-tank weapons at a time when Britain was facing a Nazi invasion following the Dunkirk evacuation ( pictured ) in 1940 .
Explosives were found by workmen on a building site in Eastbourne . They are thought to have been grenades dating back to Second World War . One or two of them exploded after they were discovered , police revealed . Comment: