Experts have confirmed a device found at a film studios earlier this month was a real Second World War bomb and not a prop.

Contractors removing the Mound at the back of Elstree Studios in Shenley Road uncovered the device on February 11. 

Police were called and a bomb disposal team carried out a controlled explosion before taking the bomb away to be examined. 

There was speculation the object could have been a prop from a First World War film made at studios nearby, with a scene from Monty Python's Meaning of Life among them.

But experts have now confirmed the device was a "Second World War munition device with explosive content".

The bomb disposal unit conducted a controlled explosion by placing a small charge on the device.

This caused the item, which was in poor condition, to 'self-consume', showing it contained a very small amount of explosives.

Chairman of the studios Councillor Morris Bright told the Borehamwood Times: "It would be fascinating to know where the device came from as it could be an opportunity to find out a bit more about the history of our town.

“I wonder if anyone who was alive during the Second World War remembers this bomb being dropped in Borehamwood.”