A Malaysian fisherman has been using a deadly World War II bomb as an anchor for his boat, according to a report today.

Local police made the shocking discovery on Thursday during a routine patrol in a fishing village in Johor.

The fisherman had been using the bomb for several months and thought it was safe on account of its age, the Star newspaper reported.

Police alerted the bomb squad who removed the 160mm device to be destroyed.

Officers discovered eight similar bombs in the village after following up on information obtained from the fisherman.

Active and dangerous

Local police chief Abdul Aziz Ahmad urged anyone coming across objects that resemble bombs to inform the police immediately.

"The bombs about the size of a small fire extinguisher were found behind a restaurant in the village," he said.

Abdul Aziz said the bombs would be destroyed by police.

"Unless the bombs are destroyed, they are considered still active and very dangerous," he warned.

Abdul Aziz cited a deadly incident in Johore on Feb 27 were two men died and a woman sustained serious injury after they tried to salvage metal from an old bomb.

- AFP