Bomb squad officers evacuated part of a school after a pupil brought a grenade to class.

The Year Eight pupil at Oakmeeds Community School found the World War Two explosive on a school trip to Newhaven Fort.

Instead of calling the police he popped it in his bag and carried it back on the school coach to his history lesson where he presented it to teacher Claire Preston and asked her what it was.

She immediately called the West Sussex County Council comprehensive’s headteacher, who contacted the emergency services.

Sussex Police and officers from the Ministry of Defence (MoD) bomb disposal squad raced to the school in Station Road, Burgess Hill, and pupils and staff were evacuated.

A Sussex Police spokesman said: “Oakmeeds Community College was partly evacuated after a pupil brought in a hand grenade he had found.

“Police were called just after 11am and bomb disposal officers removed the grenade just after 1pm.”

He confirmed the grenade was not live.

On social networking sites pupils laughed about having hours off classes.

Parents of pupils at the school, currently on a half term break, received a letter following the incident last Thursday.

Deputy headteacher Paul Boxall said: “Due to an incident beyond our control the college took the precautionary measure, for the health and safety of students and staff, to evacuate a block at the college and the emergency services were contacted.

“As mentioned this was a precautionary measure. I would like to congratulate all the students and staff for their exemplary conduct during this time.”

A Newhaven Fort spokesman said visitors were advised never to touch suspicious devices they found on the beach.

She said: “We have a sign up which says people shouldn’t touch things.

“There were lots of soldiers here during the war. Afterwards a bomb disposal team came to clear the beach but they obviously missed some.

“Just before they went down to the beach the children watched a video about the Home Front and bomb disposal – they were told never to touch bombs.”