Live grenade found in car park for city flats
Bomb squad remove and destroy World War II device
Published:
Bomb squad officers were called to Aberdeen yesterday after a live World War II grenade was found on the site of a former Army barracks.
It was found near the car park at the Princes Gates flats on land which was once home to the Prince of Wales Barracks on Fonthill Road. A branch of the Army Cadet Force has its premises close to where the bomb was discovered.
Residents in nearby flats were told to stay inside while members of the Royal Logistic Corps, who travelled from Edinburgh, joined officers from Grampian Police to secure the area.
The bomb was later destroyed during a controlled explosion near the mouth of the River Don.
The alarm was raised about 11am when a member of the public noticed the grenade lying next to residents’ cars parked outside the flats. A cordon was set up around the car park and the grenade was secured.
Inspector Nick Topping of Grampian Police said inquiries would be carried out to determine how the grenade ended up in the area.
“We have no idea how the device got there as there were no signs it had been buried or dug up,” he said.
Edinburgh-based Captain Tom Bennett of 521 Explosive Ordnance Disposal Regiment said it appeared that the grenade had been placed there by someone.
Rod Forbes, 55, lives on a ground floor of Princes Gate and his flat overlooks the spot where the bomb was found. The retired businessman said the grenade was lying “clear as day” in the car park.
“It was there for anybody to see,” he said. “It was about a foot-and-a-half long and thin like a pipe.
“It must have been put there overnight as it certainly wasn’t there before.
“It’s worrying because so many people come and go from these flats.”
