A building site has been evacuated after a large number of mortar shells were found in a storage cage.

Staffordshire Police tweeted a picture showing dozens of rusting shell casings after the discovery in Chasetown, near Burntwood, at about 8.20am on Thursday.

The force said in a statement: “As a precautionary measure, a 200-metre cordon is in place and local businesses have been evacuated to ensure public safety.

“We are advising people to stay away from the area while we deal with this incident and thank everyone for their patience and co-operation.”