Bomb squad move in after mortar shell found in skip (From Tewkesbury Admag)

Bomb squad move in after mortar shell found in skip

A VALE pensioner had to be evacuated from his home this week after a local businessman discovered a live mortar shell.

Bomb squad technicians eventually buried the explosive in a field and then blew it up in a controlled explosion.

The drama began on Tuesday when Chris Bott spotted the Second World War relic in a skip at his brother's yard in Middle Littleton.

Chris, of Cleeve Prior, said: "I saw this thing in the corner of a skip and was intrigued. So I put it in the back of my car and took it over to a friend, who knows about army supplies."

The bomb, which rested in the back of Chris's car for more than three hours, was then identified as being live.

"I didn't know what to do, so I put the bomb on my friend's land and rang my brother. He thought the whole thing was a wind-up. The police were called and within half an hour the bomb squad were there," said Chris.

Dave Nicholls, of Bretforton Road, Badsey, was asked by the bomb squad to evacuate his premises.

"The bomb was in the field next door to my house. They asked me to leave, but I knew that the mortar bomb wasn't going to affect me. I worked with these things when I was in the Army.

"So I moved my horses into the top field and sat and watched the explosion through my binoculars," said Dave, 68.

The bomb was detonated late on Tuesday afternoon and the explosion was heard as far away as South Littleton.

The bomb, which could have exploded at any time, came into the yard from a skip in the Willersey area.