Spring UXO News Roundup
Headlines this spring were again dominated by the discovery of a WWII German 250kg Unexploded Bomb (UXB) in Plymouth. But several other significant finds, including a large cache of Self-Igniting Phosphorous (SIP) grenades in County Durham, have also been made since the beginning of March.
Explore the UK’s latest discoveries on our heatmap and read about some of the most significant Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) finds from this spring below.
Above: Heatmap showing the approximate locations of UXO discoveries, 1st March 2026 – 31st May 2026
Cornwall
On the 23rd May, A Royal Navy (RN) Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team from Devonport were called to reports of an item of suspected UXO being discovered in the Cannalidgey Road area of St. Issey.
The device, which has been confirmed as a British WWI-era 18-pdr shell, was safely relocated to His Majesty’s Naval Base (HMNB) Devonport for controlled demolition.
See: Bomb squad scrambled after WW1 ordnance found in Cornwall village – Cornwall Live
County Durham
On 7th April, Cleveland Police were called to reports of a quantity of suspected UXO being discovered on Crimdon Dene Beach, near Hartlepool. The devices, later confirmed as a cache of 150No. WWII-era No. 76 SIP grenades, had been ignited, causing minor injuries to a member of the public.
In widespread use with units of the Home Guard, improvised SIP grenades comprised glass bottles filled with a mixture of white phosphorous, benzene, water, and rubber, which would self-ignite on exposure to air. They could be hand-thrown or fired from a Northover Projector – an ad-hoc Anti-Tank (AT) weapon.
The remnants of the cache were destroyed by an EOD team in several controlled explosions.
Top: the cache of SIP grenades ablaze on Crimdon Dean Beach; bottom: SIP grenades from the cache discovered on Crimdon Dene Beach before demolition (BBC, courtesy of Cleveland Police)
Just over a month later, on the 9th May, another SIP grenade was discovered on Crimdon Dene Beach by a dog walker. It was later disposed of by controlled explosion.
Above: the SIP grenade discovered on Crimdon Dene Beach on the 9th May (BBC, courtesy of Marie Lovell)
See: About 150 ‘WW2 phosphorus grenades’ found at Crimdon Dene beach – BBC News
MoD confirms Crimdon ‘smoking beach bottle’ was WW2 grenade – BBC News
Devon
On the 29th April a suspected Unexploded (UX) WWII device was discovered during construction works in the Southway area of Plymouth. A 400m cordon was established and more than 1,200 homes were evacuated. The device, identified as a WWII German 250kg High Explosive (HE) UXB, was demolished in situ by EOD teams from the Army and RN on the 1st May.
Above: the 250kg German UXB in Southway before demolition (BBC, courtesy of RN)
See: Plymouth residents can return home after WW2 device disarmed by bomb disposal experts – BBC News
Dorset
On the 2nd April, a section of Lyme Regis Beach was cordoned off after the discovery of an item of suspected UXO in the sand by a member of the public. The device was later confirmed by Lyme Regis Coastguard as a slightly deformed .50 calibre Browning Machine Gun (BMG) cartridge. It was safely removed by an EOD team.
See: The dangerous device that closed South West beach for hours | Devon Live
Oxfordshire
On the 30th April Oxfordshire Police were called to reports of a suspected grenade being found off the B4477 in Carterton. The device was reviewed by an EOD team and safely removed.
Wales
On the 7th March, Dyfed-Powys Police and members of the Brecon Mountain Rescue Team were called to reports of a suspected item of UXO being discovered on Mynydd Llangors, east of Brecon. Mountain rescue guided an EOD team to the location of the device, which was confirmed as a UX WWII-era 2” mortar. It was destroyed in a controlled explosion.
See: Unexploded World War II mortar discovered in Powys | County Times
Warwickshire
On the 1st April, Warwickshire police were called to the discovery of a suspected item of UXO in Milverton, Leamington Spa. An EOD team attended the scene, and the device was confirmed as an 18-pounder (-pdr) solid shot projectile. The device was removed safely for disposal.
See: Bomb squad called after 18lb solid shot projectile found in Leamington | Coventry Live
West Sussex
On the 12th March, parts of Medmerry Beach, in Selsey, were cordoned off following the discovery of several items of suspected UXO. The items, reported by Sussex Police as smoke signals and small munitions fragments, were destroyed by an EOD team in 2No. controlled explosions.
A month later, on the 12th April, 6No. further items of UXO, including several suspected WWII shells, were discovered washed up on Medmerry Beach by a member of the public. The devices were safely demolished by an EOD team.
Quantities of UXO are found regularly on Medmerry Beach and are likely associated with several firing ranges in use off Selsey Bill during WWII.
Above: 1No. of the several suspected WWII shells discovered on Medmerry Beach on the 12th April (The Argus, courtesy of Selsey Coastguard)
See: Controlled explosion carried out on Medmerry Beach | The Argus
Yorkshire:
On the 30th May, Humberside Police attended reports of an item of suspected UXO being discovered on Bridlington’s north beach, in East Yorkshire.
The device has been reported as a WWII-era Japanese hand grenade, though no formal confirmation has been made.
The device was safely destroyed in situ.
See: Bomb disposal team detonates device on Bridlington beach – BBC News
