A 47-year-old man appeared in court yesterday, charged with firearms licence-related offences.

Following the man’s arrest in Cononley a search of the area by police led to an Army bomb disposal team being called in on Sunday after what appeared to be grenade-type devices were found.

A 200-metre cordon was placed around the house and about 50 nearby homes were evacuated for about two hours, with traffic diverted away from the area.

Some residents spent the afternoon at Cononley's village hall while others watched from half a mile away on the main A629 Skipton Road.

The Army later confirmed the items were dummy devices and did not pose a danger.

The arrested man made his first appearance before Harrogate Magistrates' Court yesterday, charged with a number of firearms-related offences.