Ananova:

A man from China decided to keep fit using two old mortars before a friend noticed the devices were still live.

Former army officer Xie Long, 87, said: "A colleague told me they were defused and because they were heavy and in the right shape I took two home to use as dumbbells. "Even my two sons used to use them as well for training. I can't believe we trained with them for 30 years with nothing happening." The mortars were discovered by chance when a friend from the local police force who also specialised in explosives visited Long at his home in the Hechuan district of Chongqing. "When I saw one of the mortars, I was sweating. The firing pin was in the position of readiness, and can explode if violently hit or shaken," said police officer Li Guangkui. Li said: "Once exploded, the result is beyond imagination."

Police have defused the mortars, and they will now be put on display in a military museum.