Grenade sweep could lead to reopening of allotments in Leven

Members of the public are being urged to steer clear of Silverburn Park in Leven for much of next week while it is swept for grenades.

It is hoped the work will result in the all-clear to reopen allotments, which have been closed since they were at the centre of a bomb scare last summer.

Bomb disposal experts were called to sweep the area after three explosive devices were unearthed by gardeners in June and July.

The devices were a legacy of the park’s military past, having been used by Polish soldiers who trained in the grounds there during the Second World War.

Fife Council said a vast amount of investigation work had taken place since the find to ensure the area is safe.

A final sweep, involving the removal of around 300 square metres of soil around the area where the devices were found, will be done between Monday and Wednesday next week.

It is hoped the allotments can then be returned to plot holders.

An exclusion zone will be thrown up around the digging area for three days while a specialist contractor carries out the work.

A spokesman said access to the entire park would effectively be closed off but it was hoped to return to business as usual as soon as possible.

“Please respect the request to steer clear of the park for the first half of next week to allow this work to be conducted swiftly and safely,” he said.

“This has been a unique situation and we thank Fife Council for their efforts in bringing the matter to a conclusion.”

Fife Council allotments officer Peter Duncan said the local authority was now in the final stages of bringing the Silverburn plots back into use.

“A vast amount of investigation work has taken place and that has allowed us to prepare most of the site ready for handover during the last few weeks,” he said.

Mr Duncan has apologised for the inconvenience to allotment holders and park users during restrictions over the past few months.