A 13lb ‘practice shell’ has been found at a recycling centre in Dorchester, causing the site to be closed for most of the day. An Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) unit from the Royal Logistics Corps at Tidworth attended the site and declared the item inert before removing it. Whilst this particular item was not dangerous, there have been numerous incidences in recent years of UXO being found amongst recycling waste.
Sometimes, collectors dispose of their unwanted trophies by simply chucking them in the recycling, even though they are occasionally live. Similarly, scrap merchants may acquire old artillery pieces that have not been properly demilitarised. This has proved a common concern in South Wales, for instance.
A spokesperson for the EOD team summed up today’s incident well: “If people are not sure about particular articles or items, call the police and they will take it from there”.
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