Construction of a play park in Wooler is on hold after workers found 157 World War Two bombs. The discovery has led to safety concerns and additional costs.
Wooler: Construction on a new play park has stopped. Workers found over 150 World War Two bombs while digging. They started work on January 6, but the project hit a snag quickly.
Contractors reported a “suspicious object” just days into the project. Northumbria Police were called in. An officer, who used to be an army engineer, checked it out. The bomb squad confirmed it was a World War Two training device and took it away safely.
But when work resumed, another device was found. The Ministry of Defence said a full site survey was needed. Experts from Brimstone were brought in, and they discovered even more bombs than expected.
Even though these were practice bombs, they still had charges. On the first day, 65 bombs were recovered from a small area. The next day, another 90 were found, totaling 157 bombs. This area was used for Home Guard training during the war.
The parish council now faces high disposal costs—£750 per bomb, plus initial costs of £4,900. Coun Mark Mather secured £138,099 in funding for the play park. He thanked the parish council for their professionalism in handling the situation.
Northumberland County Council agreed to cover the costs for the work. A council spokesman said they were happy to support the community with this new facility. They see it as a great asset for locals and visitors.
Northumbria Police confirmed they received calls about the bombs. They assured the public there was no wider threat. Anyone with concerns can talk to an officer on duty.
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