Garden ornament turns out to be live bomb

A couple who kept an old missile as a garden ornament said “it was like the passing of an old friend” when it was detonated by a bomb disposal team.

The bomb, which had been outside the home of Sian and Jeffrey Edwards in Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire, is thought to date from the late 19th Century.

The couple had thought it was a “dummy” bomb with no charge.

The Ministry of Defence said it removed a 64lb (29kg) “naval projectile”.

Mrs Edwards said she used to bang her trowel on the bomb to remove earth after gardening.

But on Wednesday evening, a police officer knocked on the door to tell the couple he had spotted the bomb and would need to alert the Ministry of Defence.

An hour later, he told the shocked couple the bomb squad would arrive the next day.

The bomb disposal unit was called to the scene

It was a sleepless night for Mr and Mrs Edwards, who had been told the whole street might need to be evacuated.

“We didn’t sleep a wink all night. It knocked us for six,” said Mr Edwards.

“I told the bomb disposal unit ‘we’re not leaving the house, we’re staying here. If it goes up, we’re going to go up with it’.”

Tests proved the bomb was live, but with only a tiny amount of charge. It was taken to a disused quarry in Walwyn’s Castle, covered with five tonnes of sand and detonated.

 

Source: BBC