Father and son find grenade in bric-a-brac
Matt Meade • Published 21 Jan 2010 07:12
1 Comment
Share this
Son Alex and dad Robert got a nasty surprise when they looked through the box of bric-a-brac.
THESE two men "started the year with a bang" after discovering a GRENADE in a box of bric-a-brac.
Father and son duo Robert and Alex Miller revealed to the Press the Second World War grenade lay undiscovered inside their Dalgety Bay auction house for almost a month.
Lothian bomb squad officers raced to the scene at Millers Auctions, Hillend Industrial Estate, last Wednesday after Robert uncovered the piece, which was originally handed in on 18th December.
Alex (49), who manages the business, said, "I was extremely worried - to put it politely - and told him, 'For God's sake, put it down!'
"It was quite funny because the bomb squad eventually contacted the man who brought it in.
"He thought it was a wind up ... until he turned up and saw police and bomb squad officers in the place."
Robert (73), an auctioneer, said, "We get all sorts down here but nothing like that has ever happened before.
"A surveyor was doing a loft clearance for someone and he brought in a box of stuff to put into auction.
"We didn't know the grenade was there because we didn't go through it right away, just gave a receipt for the box of bric-a-brac.
"When I got round to the box I saw the grenade and five rounds of clip ammunition that holds it."
The pair called police who, after inspecting the "grey metal" object, decided to call the Explosive Ordinance Disposal Troop based at Craigiehall, South Queensferry.
Just 45 minutes later the experts cleared the building to carry out their inspection and discovered the grenade wasn't live, something former RAF man Robert suspected all along.
"I wasn't alarmed. I spent 26 years in the forces so knew that if it wasn't tampered with it should be safe," he said.
"The grenade was a type the officer hadn't seen before and he said it looked quite safe - it turned out the ammunition was a dud.
"But you could say we started the year with a bang."
An MoD spokesperson confirmed two bomb disposal experts had attended the scene last Wednesday.
She said, "Somebody handed in a box of stuff that had an empty grenade in it and a small arms round (bullets).
"They didn't have to make it safe because it was devoid of explosives but they brought it back for storage at Craigiehall."
Have your say. Post a comment on this article.
-
Martin
Unregistered User
Jan 25, 08:43
Report commentYou'd think the lack of a pin in the grenade would have pointed to it being a souvenier and therefore dud and the bullets with their spent caps would have been viewed the same.
Another great waste of public funds and police time. They should put those auctioneers in prison!
Recommend?
Yes 1
No 0
Return to the main index, get more from this section or browse our News archives.
Dunfermline Press Poll
Were the Pars right to sack Jim McIntyre?
This Poll is now closed.
Yes (72.9%)
No (27.1%)
