Shell shock: Man discovers bomb in council house (From Free Press Series)

Shell shock: Man discovers bomb in council house

EXCLUSIVE by Lorna Phelan

A FORMER army sergeant made an explosive discovery while conducting a search of an empty council house in Penygarn.

Paul Foulkes, a tenancy enforcement officer for Torfaen council, was on his way home at 4.15pm last Wednesday when he stopped to search a property in The Woodlands and discovered a bomb lying on the living room floor.

Mr Foulkes said: "I saw someone coming out of the back garden of one of the empty properties and decided to investigate. The back door grill had been removed, so I went inside, and I saw an 81 millimetre drill mortar round on the living room floor."

Mr Foulkes, aged 45, of Blaendare Road, is a former Infantry Sergeant and used to work at ROF Glascoed. He has been working as a tenancy enforcement officer for two years and thought he had seen the last of explosive devices when he left the army.

"In the army I had been out in the Middle East working with 81 millimetre mortars. When I walked in and saw it lying there I thought I was having flashbacks," he laughed.

Mr Foulkes bravely checked the bomb's fuse and primer to ensure it had been spent and quickly informed the police.

The police alerted the bomb disposal squad, based in Hereford, and began putting a contingency plan to evacuate the area into practice.

Fortunately, no one needed to leave their homes thanks to Mr Foulkes expert knowledge. He added: "I was lucky to speak to one of the bomb disposal team and I described the mortar to him. He talked me through some cursory checks to make sure it was spent, which it was."

Local residents looked on as officers removed the bomb. It is not known where the device came as the house was emptied when the previous tenant left, but it is thought it was left by whoever broke in.

A spokesman for Gwent Police said: "An explosive device was discovered at a property in The Woodlands. A bomb disposal officer said it wasn't a live round, but a drill mortar round used for training. At no point was the public in danger. The device was taken to Pontypool Police Station where it was collected by bomb disposal experts."