MEMORABILIA . . . a similar World War One hand grenade at the Devil's Porridge Exhibition at Eastriggs

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Bomb squad in grenade alert

A CHANCE discovery of a World War One hand grenade sparked an alert in Eastriggs, near Annan.

The device came to light during the demolition of a shed in the garden of one of the last surviving wooden accommodation blocks dating from the creation of the township.

A family, who recently acquired the site to redevelop, found the grenade in a tool chest in the shed, which was formerly a radio repair and battery charging workshop.

New owner Allan Richardson decided to take no chances and contacted the police, who, in turn, called out a bomb disposal team from Edinburgh.

The grenade was isolated until the arrival of the unit from 11 Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Regiment.

A spokesman said later: "It was a world war one grenade but after a careful examination the team were satisfied it posed no immediate danger.

"They placed it in a secure container and took it back to their base for safe disposal.

"Had they considered the grenade to be dangerous, they would have destroyed it with a controlled explosion at the scene."

The former small-holding at the east end of Pretoria Road was home until last year of Mr and Mrs Theo Cannon.

Mrs Cannon moved to live with her daughter, Fiona Smith, and her family near Annan, following Mr Cannon's death last autumn at the age of 82.

It is believed the grenade may have belonged to Mr Cannon's father Theodore.

Mrs Smith explained: "My grandfather served in the trenches in World War One and when he came home he was suffering from the effects of a gas attack."

She believed he may have brought the grenade, which she always understood to be a safe training replica, home from the war as a souvenir as many servicemen had at the time.

Mrs Smith added that with the sale of the property only being finalised last week, they had forgotten the grenade was among some of the items remaining in the shed.

The wooden house is expected to be demolished in the coming weeks to make way for a new home on the site.





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