Repairs to dam uncover part of a wartime bomb
Army team called to Mote Park after unexpected discovery
Bomb disposal experts rushed to Maidstone after a piece of a wartime explosive was discovered in Mote Park.
They were summoned by Kent Police at around midday on Wednesday last week after what was first suspected to be a mortar shell was uncovered during ongoing repair works on a dam.
Officers quickly put a cordon in place to keep people away from the scene and allow the bomb squad from the Army to assess the situation.
An Army spokesman said: “Shorncliffe Troop from Kent attended the scene, they identified the item as a non-significant part of a piece of wartime munitions, and recovered it from the scene. At no point in time was there a threat posed to members of the public.”
The operation to recover the piece of ordnance was over within hours and the park could reopen fully.
A Maidstone Borough Council spokesman said: “During the Mote Park dam repair works a grenade has been found in the area of the dig.
“Maidstone Borough Council staff have been on hand to offer any help and have been working with the police.”
Georgina Forde 51, was in the park for a walk with her children Tom, 24, and Lucy, 31.
She said: “We got here just after 2pm and they were just packing up, I think. When we arrived they said nobody was allowed within 100m of the boat house, and the road was closed up the top, but it was all wrapped up pretty quickly.” The council is currently carrying out a major project to repair the historic sluice gates, boat house, spillway, dam and area around Mote Park Lake.
Both sluice gates and boathouse were built around the 1830s when the River Len was dammed to form the lake.
The work is expected to be completed by November.