The item found in Te Puke which sparked a callout from the New Zealand Defence Bomb disposal team has been identified.

Contractors doing demolition work at a Te Puke address uncovered an unexploded, naval, high explosive shell on Monday.

A post on the Bay of Plenty & Taupo Police Facebook page says the shell was about 1m long.

'Good team work by Demolition Contractors, Bay of Plenty Police and NZ Defence Bomb Squad,” says the police.

'Contractors contacted Police and from there, the NZ Defence bomb squad came from Auckland to determine what needed to be done.”

In the meantime four houses were evacuated.

'Bomb squad took the shell for destruction.”