Army bomb disposal experts deal with trio of incidents

Published on Tuesday 9 December 2008 21:03

BOMB disposal experts were called to three separate munitions scares over a 24-hour period.

An Edinburgh school had to be evacuated yesterday when a spent mortar shell and a small amount of live ammunition were found on a nearby building site.

A controlled explosion was carried out on Monday night after a torpedo was found under a pier in Ayrshire.

And explosives experts were also called upon after a live mine was caught in a fishing net off the East Lothian coast on Monday afternoon.

Army bomb disposal experts were called out to Colinton Primary School in Edinburgh yesterday after workmen unearthed a spent mortar shell and some small bullets in an area behind the building.

An army spokeswoman said: "The Edinburgh-based army bomb disposal team was called out to Colinton Primary School this morning after contractors found a 2in illuminating mortar dating back to the Second World War – which was already spent and therefore of no danger – and a handful of small army ammunition, some of which was still live."

In the second incident, divers discovered the bomb buried within the structure of Largs Pier. Explosives experts were called to the scene and the torpedo was picked up by a navy boat. A controlled explosion was later carried out.

Finally, an explosion was being carried out yesterday afternoon on an 8ft-long live mine that was trawled up just off Port Seton.