Council issue warning after suspected grenade found at Devon recycling centre
Brunel Road Recycling Centre in Newton Abbot was closed after the discovery last week
People are being urged to take extra care after a suspected grenade was found at a Devon recycling centre.
Brunel Road Recycling Centre in Newton Abbot was closed by police and evacuated as a precaution on Wednesday (June 3) last week.
Devon County council said bomb disposal experts from the Royal Navy attended and removed the item so it could be disposed of safely.
No one was injured during the incident and the site has since reopened.
Other recycling centres in Devon have been forced to close after the discovery of suspcious and potentially dangerous items.
In January this year, Ivybridge Recycling Centre was evacuated after a tank shell was found.
The council say staff at other sites have also uncovered unexploded ordnance, marine flares, old ammunition and containers holding unknown chemicals.
The authority added that all these incidents requires a response from emergency services and cause disruption.
They are urging residents to think carefully before bringing items to recycling centres, particularly if they are old, unlabelled, or could be mistaken for something hazardous.
Councillor Jacqi Hodgson, Cabinet Member responsible for waste services, said:
“Once again, we’ve had to close a centre because an item that appeared suspicious was brought onto site.
“These avoidable incidents waste the valuable time of emergency services, disrupt our staff, and inconvenience the public.
“Items such as flares, fireworks or ammunition must never be brought to our recycling centres.
“Taking simple precautions helps keep everyone safe.
“I’d like to thank our site staff, the police and the Royal Navy for their swift response.”