Grenade in my garden, what to do?

[Susie]

We're having a shed and a man has been laying a base for us. While he was digging, he found what looks like a WW2 grenade (it's very old and rusted over). I don't think anyone's in any imminent danger because it's obviously quite old (and indeed this shows you when anyone last engaged with our garden), but, can I just throw it in the bin or did I ought to ring the council or someone? Does anyone know? The immediate action we have taken is to have a good laugh and place it carefully behind the compost bin, but possibly I should do something official...

[MKG]

You most certainly SHOULD do something - and immediately.

Leave it where it is and don't go near it. Call the police, who will take it from there.

Mike

[pelmetman]

Suppose you ought to get it checked out just in case, not sure who you should contact though Maybe the Council or the Police.

Once you know its OK if it were me I'd clean it up and keep it, would be a good talking point at parties.

Sue

[MKG]

There is a possibility - no matter how small - that the grenade is still live. The effective radius of a WW2 grenade is up to 45 metres. It's not something to take a risk on.

Mike

[Susie]

OK, I'll give the police a ring this pm! (I'd hate to blow up our street ;-) ).

[Marmalady]

..(it's very old and rusted over) ...

i maybe wrong but i think these maybe the most dangeraous as the rust makes them more unstable

PLEASE contact the police immediately -- and be prepared to be evacuated from your home untill the Bomb Squad have checked it over

Certainly do not just chuck it in the wheely bin!

[Graye]

How exciting! But please do as has been suggested. The police will not laugh at you and will take it very seriously. Meanwhile I would keep very well away from it. Being that old and rusty it could be really dangerous!

But keep us informed. I for one am on the edge of my seat here!

[Susie]

OK. Don't all tell me off...

I've just been out to talk to the gardener about the grenade to check where he'd put if before I rang the police, girding my loins for all our street to be evacuated for five hours. He's found another one and he's taken them both away in a wheelbarrow. He says he's going to take them to the dump (he's promised he will tell the men at the dump they're live grenades, not just put them in the skip). He was very determined and short of wrestling them off him I wasn't going to have much luck. I think he might have encountered this issue before O_O.

God, I try so hard to be a good, careful person and I've just watched a man wander off happily with a wheelbarrow full of explosives. Everyone keep an eye on News at Ten tonight because if there's been an explosion at the Milton Recycling Centre in Cambridge you can all print this thread out and use it as evidence!

[MKG]

Well, at least that gets rid of your problem, Susie. But I think the man's an idiot - if he tells that story at the dump, then the police and bomb squad are going to be called anyway. If they're not called, he's simply dumped them and not told anyone, which would be incredibly irresponsible. Not to mention potential danger to himself and anyone he happens to get anywhere near to.

The other thing to think about, though, is if he's found TWO in your garden, how many has he possibly not found?

Mike

[Graye]

He's obviously a bit dim! I bet the recycling place will be in uproar though, H & S will mean they will HAVE to call in the right people. I hope he really does do as he promised and even so I bet he gets a bit of a telling off from the police eventually. At least they are out of your garden though. Just hope there aren't more there...

[oldfella]

I think that you should confirm that he has done as he promised and also that the police are aware of this. They will need to ascertain that there are no more in your garden, as to me it sounds most odd that two Hand-grenades, should be found in any ones garden???

Eddy

[Susie]

I'm sure there are probably more, because he was only digging up a tiny corner. They might be all over! :-(. Isn't that strange to think of my house being bombed in the war?

I hope the gardener is ok, because he is very nice and helpful (I've got a feeling I've read about the dump having a procedure for disposing of grenades, although I might be misremembering. I suspect this happens a lot here, though). I'll check up when I next speak to him. What a morning!

[MKG]

They're hand grenades, which means that they were put there by someone rather than being dropped from a plane. They're quite often found as many people "kept" them as souvenirs and then later buried them when they realised the risk they were taking. But most hand grenade finds are just that - one grenade. Having two grenades might indicate a collector getting rid of them.

I'm very uneasy.

Mike

EDIT: Only the Met. Police and the armed forces have any authority to deal with unexploded ordnance - your recycling plant would be obliged to call them in via your local police. You may still find someone wants to have a look at your garden.

[Graye]

Sorry to nag at you but I really think you should take this seriously and phone someone about it. Look at this link about another incident

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-14916158

It's obviously NOT dealt with at the recycling plant - they don't have the means or the expertise. If this is the real thing it could cause a huge amount of damage and injury to innocent people and it needs to be checked out by an expert, not a man poking it with his shovel.

As for bombing in WW2, grenades are something slightly different I believe. They would probably not have been dropped as such and are more likely part of a store or even souvenirs brought back from the war.

[Graye]

Mike, I think we have the same hymn sheet here... agree with you totally.