A BOMB which sparked a safety alert after it was discovered at a Barrhead building site is believed to have been dropped by a plane during the Second World War.

The unexploded device was unearthed at Taylor Wimpey's new Duncarnock housing development, in Springfield Road, at around 10am yesterday.

It prompted the closure of the railway line between Neilston and Muirend, as the bomb – thought to be around the size of a fire extinguisher – was found near the tracks, with services not resuming until around 6pm.

Police were called to the scene, where scores of new houses are being built, and set up a cordon for safety reasons.

Members of an Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) unit were also alerted and later carried out a controlled explosion.

The sprawling Duncarnock site has a number of unoccupied houses but properties at one end of the development which are already occupied were not evacuated.

Taylor Wimpey said the bomb was found by groundworkers at the development.

A spokesperson added: "The Ministry of Defence (MoD) were called to carry out a controlled explosion to safely remove the ordnance from the site.

"Our first priority is the safety of our employees and subcontractors, as well as the general public in the surrounding area.

"Following advice from the police, MoD and a specialist consultant, appropriate safety measures were put in place to allow them to deal with the unexploded ordnance safely and work has been cleared to resume on site."

ScotRail organised replacement buses for train passengers affected by the disruption.

Police confirmed that a road closure took place and a cordon was enforced while the device was dealt with.

A spokesperson said: “Police received a report of an unexploded ordnance having been found at a construction site on Springfield Road at around 10.05am on Thursday, September 29.”