ABOUT 30 people were evacuated from their homes after a house clearance firm discovered a hand grenade in a cupboard.

Prince Arthur Street was closed for four hours, army explosives experts were called in and the grenade was found to be a fake.

The incident began at about 2pm on Monday when police arrived. Employees of a firm, D and J Cleaning, were clearing the house on behalf of Barnsley Council. Managing director Dan Stephenson said the grenade looked real.

He said: "We came across it in a cupboard and the lads brought it out at first thinking it was a toy but it looked real .

"The chap next door had been in the army and thought it looked genuine. He called the police. Eventually it was found to be a fake but I'm the MD and I have a responsibility for my men.

"It's the first time in 40 years of cleaning I have ever come across anything like this."