Army bomb disposal experts have carried out a controlled explosion of a Second World War device which was found buried in a garden in Milk Street.
Roads were closed on Wednesday 6th August and 100 households were evacuated while an investigation from bomb experts was carried out in the garden of Frome residents Terry Pinto and Paula Hammond. A bomb was found and taken out of the town to a secure site to be exploded.
The discovery came after the couple had a visit from the police saying they had ‘credible information’ that a bomb had dropped in their garden during the Second World War. This information came from a resident in a care home in Frome mentioned to his daughter that a bomb had dropped at the house in Milk Street during the war. The daughter called the police who visited Terry and Paula.
People living nearby to the bomb were evacuated from 6.30am on the day military experts arrived and the cordon was removed at around 3.30pm once it was safe to do so.
Terry Pinto who unknowingly had the bomb in his garden said, “The police came round with the elderly man who showed them where he thought the bomb had dropped. Later, the police came back with a magnetometer which detects iron and found two big lumps buried.
“We were fairly relaxed about it, to be honest; it’s not a big deal. It’s been there for 70 years, so it wasn’t likely to just go off.”
Cllr Harvey Siggs, leader of Mendip District Council and cabinet member of Somerset County Council said, “This has shown all the planning was worthwhile. There was an explosive device buried in Milk Street which has safely been removed and disposed of in a safe environment.
“Great teamwork from all services. Thank you to all agencies involved and thank you to the local people for all their amazing support and patience.”
