Police arrived about 11am and evacuated the store (pictured) as a precaution. The police then called in the army who took possession of the shell

Police arrived about 11am and evacuated the store (pictured) as a precaution. The police then called in the army who took possession of the shell

‘It was dressed up in a crochet doily with a hat and outfit, so we are assuming it was used as a doorstop for a long time,’ she said.

‘We think it was probably from a deceased estate and someone was clearing things out and bringing it all in.

‘I don’t know if they realised what they were bringing in.’

The discovery was made by volunteer of 25 years Phyl Ladd, who alerted Ms Webster when she arrived on Thursday morning.

Ms Webster then took a photo of the bomb with the top of its costume on, but said she was too scared to touch the bottom.

‘I took a photo [of the shell] and walked around to the local police station and they said ‘you better evacuate everyone from the building,’ which we did,’ Ms Webster said.

Police arrived about 11am and evacuated the store as a precaution, a police spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia.

The police then called in the army who took possession of the shell.

Ms Webster said the store remained close for more than three hours while the bomb was disposed

Ms Webster said the store remained close for more than three hours while the bomb was disposed

Ms Webster said the store remained close for more than three hours while the bomb was disposed.

Ms Ladd said she didn’t realise the ‘gravity of the situation’ when she found the shell until she removed its costume.

‘I remembered there was an amnesty on, so I told the other volunteers that we needed to call the police,’ Ms Ladd told Hornsby Advocate.

Ms Ladd said the shell was the most ‘unusual’ donation she had seen in 25 years of volunteering.