Controlled explosions in Burntwood today

Blimey, it’s all happening today. It seems some unexploded wartime grenades were found near Chasewater Industrial Estate, Burntwood (Known as the LCP) in the last 24 hours, which were subsequently destroyed in a controlled explosion.

Nearby businesses were cordoned off while the operation took place.

I see the historical foo is already rife over this – no bombers dropped excess ordnance in Chasewater during the war, and there wasn’t a wartime ammunition or ordnance dump there, either; the site of what is now known as the LCP was a mine during the war, as older folks will know. There was later a business here recovering war scrap – possibly E.F. Smith – where they may have originated, but considering the small previous finds at Chasewater it’s just as likely they were left from home guard or other training exercises.

Although these devices were small, they were still capable of causing fatalities and severe injury. If you find anything like this in the area, leave it well alone and contact the police.

Thanks to all involved for keeping us safe, and thank to Lucy ‘The Wheeled One’ Wood for the tipoff.

Staffordshire Police posted the following on their Facebook page:

Local police officers closed and cordoned off roads around Chasewater Industrial Estate, Burntwood, today while an Army Explosive Ordance Disposal unit carried out controlled explosions on nearby wasteground of six WW2 anti-tank grenades found locally and believed to have been there since the war.

Measures were put in place to ensure public safety. We would like to thank workers from the industrial estate and local residents for their patience and cooperation.

These are photos at the scene at Chasewater Industrial Estate, Burntwood, this morning when officers closed and cordoned off the area to keep workers and residents safe whilst an Army Explosive Ordance Disposal unit carefully placed the six WW2 anti-tank grenades inside a high wall of protective sandbags to lessen the impact on the surrounding waste area.