Homes evacuated after huge stash of secret stash of artillery shells found
A street was evacuated after a war hero’s secret stash of artillery shells was discovered.
Nicki Connor was clearing out her late father’s house on Saturday with family friend Scott Sawyer when she came across four unexploded shells.
They belonged to her father Daniel Connor MBE, a former Sgt Major and weapons expert in the Royal Artillery who died last month aged 78.
She believes he collected them during during his 30-year military career and hid in a plastic tub on the garden patio in his home in Altrincham, Trafford.
Nicki said: ‘I picked the tub up and it had water in and I was emptying it out. It was heavy.
‘I went inside and Scott said you need to have a look at this. When he showed me the shells, my stomach dropped.
‘I said we need to get out of here. Dad told Scott that five years ago he got rid of them. They’re about as big as your arm. I presume he just took them.
‘My dad was a war hero. They would have been when he was in the army, in special ops. I knew I’d find bullets and other stuff. But I didn’t think I’d find that.
‘He’d be loving this. It’s a parting gift.’
The pair quickly alerted Greater Manchester Police, who then visited the home in Avocet Drive, Broadheath just after midday.
Homes were evacuated and a 100m cordon was put in place while a bomb squad raced to the scene.
It is thought they were taken away around 6pm before a controlled explosion was carried out in a nearby farmer’s field.
Scott, 48, from Hale, a former neighbour and best friend of Mr Connor, said the shells were about 12ins long and thought to date from the late 80s.
He added: ‘I just thought, ‘You told me you got rid of them’.
‘He was the nicest person you could ever meet in your life. He was a right down-to-earth bloke. This is his last laugh.
‘He wasn’t a bad bloke. He just didn’t tell the MoD (Ministry of Defence).’
A GMP spokesperson said: ‘Officers were called to reports of suspicious items found during a property clearance on Avocet Drive, Altrincham.’
They said an explosive ordnance disposal team was sent to the area and a ‘precautionary cordon’ was put in place.
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