Pontesbury unexploded devices 'left behind by Home Guard'

Unexploded devices found on a construction site may have been "stored away by the home guard" developers say.

A 100m (328ft) cordon was set up on Minsterley Road, in Pontesbury and 12 properties were temporarily evacuated following the discovery.

Shropshire Homes, which has planning permission for 38 homes on the site, said the devices were of a type used in World War Two.

Construction has been stopped while the site is surveyed, it said.

West Mercia Police had said a controlled explosion had been carried out by an explosive ordnance disposal team after the devices were found on 25 August.

Shropshire Homes said one of the devices had been disturbed by an excavator and this resulted in a small fire.

It said bomb disposal experts identified a total of 18 intact devices and a further six that had been damaged, all of which were destroyed with a controlled explosion.

"It appears likely that the devices were incendiary grenades based on white phosphorus which were used during World War Two," it said.

"We are not aware of the site having any previous military use and it may be that the grenades had been stored away from the village by the Home Guard.

"Shropshire Homes would like to thank the emergency services for their quick and effective response to the situation."

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