Digger driver Charlie Farn was last night counting himself "the luckiest man alive" after coming within a hair's breadth of being blown up by a 1,000lb bomb.

The Northern Echo tracked down Mr Farn, who described his horror at learning that he had reactivated the fuse of the Second World War bomb when his digger struck the device.

Mr Farn said: I'll probably win the Lottery next.

"A digger driver finds all manner of things - but the chances of coming across a bomb like this must be millions to one."

Mr Farn described how he had unearthed the German bomb while excavating foundations for an extension to the Deerness Park Medical Centre in Suffolk Street, Hendon, Sunderland.

And in a terrifying moment, the bomb - which had lain undisturbed for more than half a century after being jettisoned by one of Hitler's Heinkels - started ticking.

The site was immediately sealed off by police and a 400 metre cordon was set up as bomb disposal experts managed to stop the fuse and stabilise the bomb.

Skips packed with sand and water were placed around the bomb to absorb the force of the blast.

Then, in scenes reminiscent of The Blitz, more than 100 police, Army personnel and council staff began the massive logistical operation of evacuating 4,000 men, women and children from the blast area around the site.

Mr Farn who runs Charlie Farn JCB Hire, from Shotton Colliery, said: "Peter Fowle, the managing director of the contractors who I was carrying out the work for, asked us to be very careful not to disturb the sewer. We are trained to look for anything that comes out of the bucket.

"I got an eerie feeling that I could not quite put my finger on when a lot of old canvas and pieces of aluminium started to emerge."

Mr Farn was digging the last hundred centimetres required when triangular pieces of metal started emerging. He said: "I felt my digger hit something solid. The manager of the practice, Eric Harrison, poked his head out of the window to ask what the problem was.

"When I told him we had hit something solid, he said lots of bombs had fallen in the area and joked, had we come across one?"

Mr Farn said the object looked like a Calor gas container but had some writing on it and a cylindrical "thing" with screws.

"I called Mr Fowle who told us to stop working immediately and went on thinking nothing further of it until I got a call at home. It was Mr Fowle who said, "Do you know how lucky you've been."

Mr Harrison said: "We were aware of the history of the area and of the possibility of finding something, but it took some time before we realised what it was."

Mr Farn said: "I've always believed in reincarnation. That day there was a crow squawking at me. I'm sure it was my dad, Jimmy."

He believed he had a lucky streak having written off several cars and survived.

"I have to go back and finish off the job on Monday. I just hope there aren't any more there," he added.

The bomber which dumped the device is thought to have been shot down over the city.

Wearside was pounded during the war because of its shipbuilding yards