News / Sea Mills
Suspected hand grenade destroyed in controlled explosion
A suspected hand grenade has been destroyed by a bomb disposal team.
The device was discovered by builders during groundworks for a house extension, with neighbours living nearby evacuated after police were called.
A loud bang could be heard as the device was destroyed in a controlled explosion.
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Lisa Ce, who lives close to the property near the Portway in Sea Mills where the suspected grenade was found, was evacuated along with other neighbours.
“We had a knock on the door about 6pm,” she told Bristol24/7.
“[We] had to evacuate whilst they waited for bomb logistics to arrive. They took our number and we had a call at 8.30pm to say it had all been dealt with and we could return home. All quite dramatic, but everyone safe.”
Local resident Andrew Saunders was also evacuated from his home, returning when his neighbour said it was safe to do so.
He added: “They told me there was a loud bang, so I presumed the bomb disposal team had taken the grenade somewhere safe to blow it up.”
Following the find, a short stretch of the Portway into the city centre was closed for some time, with traffic being diverted down Sylvan Way and back via Riverleaze.
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Zac Jones caught on video the moment the device was destroyed in a controlled explosion on an area of grass at the side of the Portway.
He witnessed the bomb disposal team dig a hole and put the grenade into it before there was a loud bang. The police left shortly afterwards, and the road was reopened.
A spokesperson for Avon & Somerset Police said: “We were called just before 5pm on Friday, May 7 to reports of a suspected hand grenade being found during some building work at a property off the Portway in Bristol.
“The road was closed while the incident was dealt with. The explosive ordnance disposal team was called to attend and carried out a controlled explosion at about 8.25pm near Sylvan Way.”
Mary Milton is reporting on Sea Mills as part of Bristol24/7’s community reporter scheme, a pilot project which aims to tell stories from areas of Bristol traditionally under-served by the mainstream media
Main photo: Martin Booth
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