Cordon back up as bomb squad returns to detonate more munitions in Shropshire village
A cordon is again being put in place around a Shropshire village building site for further Second World War munitions to be destroyed after they were unearthed on Thursday.
Police said they would be re-imposing a 100m cordon around the site in Pontesbury, near Shrewsbury, on Friday, for Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) experts to come in again.
The initial cordon was lifted after a controlled explosion on Thursday night, but police have confirmed that they are again taping off a 100m zone.
It comes after neighbours told how seeing a bomb squad arrive on their doorstep was "unnerving".
Homes were evacuated and a 100m cordon was put in place at Minsterley Road on Thursday night after items were found by workmen on land where houses are to be built.
Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) experts carried out a controlled explosion after the discovery was made in the afternoon.
Shropshire Homes, the firm building homes on the site, said their investigations are still ongoing. The company received planning permission to build 38 homes there in April this year.
Emergency services rushed to Minsterley Road in Pontesbury on blue lights and sirens during yesterday afternoon, prompting concerns from residents.
Michael Dodd, who lives opposite the site where the munitions were found, said police knocked on his door and told him to evacuate. He chose to stay put, but said: "It's unnerving. How does a bomb get into Pontesbury?"
The 80-year-old retired law cost draftsman has lived in Minsterley Road for around 30 years and Pontesbury for around 50.
He added: "There was a kerfuffle going earlier on. I didn't think too much of it but later on a copper knocked on my door and said I'm in the exclusion zone. He advised me to leave, but I didn't. I shut my windows and doors. Some people did go.
"As far as I know nothing like this has happened here before. I rang a few friends to let them know what was happening."
Police had several officers turning motorists around at different points on the A488. The cordon was in place from about 4pm until shortly after 9.30pm, following an explosion. Items were placed in a skip and detonated.
Speaking to the Shropshire Star yesterday evening, Inspector Nick Horton said: "Earlier today we received a call from the workers here working on the new build site. They were doing some preparatory groundworks and uncovered what they believed to be some form of munitions, potentially from World War Two.
"As a result of that we've arrived along with our partners in the fire and rescue service and as a precaution we put a 100m cordon on until we can ascertain exactly what it was we're dealing with.
"I'd first like to thank everyone from the local community who's helped us put that cordon on, obviously which is to help them, which is fabulous.
"Going beyond that we've asked for EOD to come along with the MOD. They have ascertained what it is we're dealing with and it is, in fact, munitions from World War Two.
"They have two or three of these incidents weekly, nationally, so there's probably 150 of these things going on every year up and down the country. So it's nothing unusual and I want to stress, despite some rumours, there's nothing untoward happening here. It's almost business as usual for the EOD."
