Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
Bomb alert down in the woodland
Man buried it 30 years ago
Po l i ce descended on Chapelhall at the weekend to search for an unexploded World War II bomb - after being tipped off to its existence by the man who helped bury it more than 30 years ago.
Around a dozen officers searched woodland behind Argus Avenue for the potentially dangerous device which was hidden there by a former resident when he was just 12-yearsold.
The man – now in his 40s – called police to alert them to the situation after learning that trees in the woods behind his childhood home were due to be felled by the local authority.
Despite an extensive and painstaking search, police didn’t recover any examples of ancient ammunition. However, they confirmed they were satisfied it must have been safely removed when trees were previously planted there a decade ago.
The man, who asked to remain anonymous, recalled to the Advertiser the day he found the unexploded shell. He said: “I was just a kid at the time. “I was at Airdrie swimming baths with a few pals and afterwards we went to play in the wasteland at the back of the pool - now a bowling club.
“I saw something poking out the earth and dug it up, and couldn’t believe it was a shell from the war!
“It was so heavy, we all had to take turns carrying it back to my house.
“Looking back it was a silly thing to do but we were just so interested by it and didn’t think through the danger of it.”
He continued: “My dad has never been an angry man but I can remember his rage that day when we showed it to him.
“He was furious and took us out the back to bury it.
“We didn’t really know what else to do and that seemed like the best way to get rid of it.
“In hindsight it was a stupid thing to do but nobody got hurt and it remains quite an interesting tale!”
Airdrie South councillor Michael Coyle said residents contacted him concerned that they may have to be evacuated from their homes.
He told us: “Fortunately however, I was able to allay their fears after receiving an update from the police.”
Officers with metal detectors ctors and shovels searched a large e area of woodland before calling their eir search off just before lunchtime on n Monday. Monday.
Explaining why he contacted the police after all these years, the man continued: “I had heard the trees behind the houses were going to be chopped down and I thought ‘what if a digger hits that?’
“I had to call the police as I didn’t want there to be a chance of anybody getting injured.
“I’m just thankful something silly from my childhood hasn’t brought any harm to anyone.”
A Police Scotland and spokesperson said: “On Saturday, March 10, police were made aware that a piece of ammunition may have been buried behind a property on Argus Avenue more than 30 years ago.
“Over the past few days, officers have covered the area identified identified.identified.
“Following the search, no ammunition was found and police have concluded the investigation and stood down from the area.”