Police have exploded a suspected World War One bomb that they found in an Oxfordshire canal.
Residents reported hearing a “big bang” in Banbury on Friday evening while some locals wondered if a bomb had gone off.
It turns out that is exactly what happened as Thames Valley Police officers had located what they believed to be a shell from the First World War in a nearby canal.
The force then organised a controlled explosion of the item in Spiceball Park, creating a loud bang which was audible to most of the town.
Thank you to members of the public for adhering our safety advice this afternoon when what is suspected to be a WW1 shell was located in the Banbury Canal.
— TVP Banbury (@TVP_Banbury) September 27, 2024
It has been safely disposed of in Spiceball Park with a controlled explosion 💥 pic.twitter.com/M7JhDSyZuL
A spokesperson for TVP said: “Thank you to members of the public for adhering our safety advice this afternoon when what is believed to be a WW1 shell was located in the Banbury Canal.
“With thanks to the Explosive Ordnance Disposal unit the device was taken to Spiceball Park for a controlled explosion.”
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