AN amateur actor due to play bumbling Corporal Jones in a on-stage production of Dad's Army found himself in a real-life "don't panic" situation after discovering two of his props were potentially live hand grenades.

Keith Poultney of Langley Close, Magor remained true to the catchphrase made famous by actor Clive Dunn after he found the two First World War grenades he had borrowed from his mother-in-law still had the pins in place.

The 56-year-old called police and taking advice, drove them to a field away from houses at St Bride's Lane near the Severn Estuary.

Mr Poultney then waited for a Explosive Ordnance Disposal team to arrive, who conducted a controlled explosion.

Mr Poultney, who is due to play the butcher turned homeguard character made famous by the hit BBC comedy, borrowed the grenades from his mother-in-law Jean Field’s house in Droitwich, Worcestershire.

Mr Poultney thought they would make authentic props for a revue by the Magor Players.

He said “things got a bit worrying”, after he arrived home on Monday morning and realised both still contained the lead plugs and the pins in the bottoms.

The grenades had clear maker’s marks, were both dated 1918 and appeared to be live.

"It’s strange, I don’t think it was because I was in character, but I didn’t panic once,” he explained.

Mr Poultney believes the grenades originally came into the family from his wife Carole's grandfather, who fought in the First World War.

After a controlled explosion, they were found not be live, but even though they were still intact, Mr Poultney wasn’t allowed to keep them for security reasons and was told they are Crown property.

Unfortunately this means there are no grenade props for Magor Players’ revue at Magor Church Hall tomorrow and Saturday, 7pm.

But, Mr Poultney joked: “It could have been worse. They may have been live and that really would have brought the house down.”

A spokeswoman for the Army confirmed the Ashchurch Troops 11 EOD regiment attended and de-activated the grenades on site because it was deemed too dangerous to move them.