Wooler children's playground reopens after 177 bombs removed

Wooler children's playground reopens after 177 bombs removed

An astonishing discovery shook the small town of Wooler in Northumberland when Steven Parkinson stumbled upon an unexploded World War Two bomb buried beneath Scotts Park. Little did anyone know that this playground, frequented by generations of children, was sitting on an arsenal of 177 wartime bombs. The mystery of how these explosives ended up buried under a play area for so long without anyone realizing remains unsolved.

Parkinson, who was involved in installing new equipment in the park, was taken aback when he unearthed the suspicious-looking object. His company immediately contacted Kerren Rodgers, the clerk of Wooler Parish Council, to inform her of the unexpected find. The magnitude of the situation was far beyond what anyone could have anticipated, catching the council and residents off guard.

To assess the situation and dispose of the bomb safely, an Explosive Ordnance Disposal team was brought in from Catterick Garrison. With the assumption that it was an isolated incident, work resumed the following day only to be halted again by the discovery of another bomb. It was a nerve-wracking time for the community as they grappled with the unforeseen danger lying beneath the surface of their beloved park.

While it is not uncommon to discover relics from the past during construction work, finding bombs buried under a children’s playground is certainly unusual. The Association of Play Industries member, Dallan Tan, shared his experience of finding peculiar items like vintage whisky bottles and sex toys but never explosives. The decision to hire the specialized company Brimstone to handle the delicate removal process highlighted the extraordinary circumstances surrounding the park’s hidden history of wartime ordnance

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