Icklingham mortar bomb is blown up by Army

Police had to guard an unexploded WW2 4in calibre mortar bomb overnight in a field near Icklingham until Army bomb disposal could blow it up on Tuesday.

The bomb had been found by farmworkers using a digger at about 2.50pm on Monday but by the time the Regiment Royal Logistic Corps’ 621 Squadron, 11 Explosive Ordanance Disposal, from Colchester, had examined it it was too dark to carry out a controlled explosion.

Suffolk Police said it was about a mile from the nearest building and 600 metres from the nearest footpath.

An Army spokesman said: “Destroying the shell was the safest thing to do in the circumstances, as old ammunition can be quite unstable.

“For safety reasons we do not carry out controlled explosions in the dark, but the shell was guarded overnight by police and destroyed as soon as was practical.

“We would encourage the public to raise the alarm if they do have concerns about any suspect items they find and not to touch them. It is better to be safe than sorry.”