Kirby Road has been closed off for seven hours along with surrounding roads such as Hillhouse Road as bomb squads have been called to the area.
A spokesperson for Kent Police said that a suspected wartime ordnance has been found at 9.18am.
It was discovered after Abfab Landscapes discovered the object when digging a garden on Kirby Road to install a fence.
In an update, the force said: “Officers attended the scene where a cordon was put in place and nearby residents have been evacuated.
“A Ministry of Defence bomb disposal team attended and removed the ordnance. Residents were permitted to return home at around 4.15pm.”
Bobby Moulson, who runs Abfab Landscapes, said: “We first discovered it as we were digging to start putting up a fence.
“I thought it was a tin bath or something until we brushed some soil off it and see what shape it was.
“I googled a picture of WW2 bombs and realised that it looked a lot like what we found.
“I couldn’t believe it and told the customer right away who phoned the police and they turned up straight away.
“We all had to leave and the road was evacuated. When it was confirmed a WW2 bomb I was shocked really I have never seen anything like this before.”
