Grenade panic

Colin Hutton • Published 20 Oct 2009 12:00

Wartime find sparks major incident

PARENTS returning from their son's wedding were left shocked to discover bomb disposal experts swarming their home.

The drama unfolded after firemen were forced to smash down the house door to deal with a small fire which had started in the couple's bedroom during a bizarre sequence of events.

But as the fire crew were about to leave they noticed an 'unexploded' hand grenade, pictured, sitting on the bedside table and immediately called the police.

Officers rushed to the Crosslet Avenue home at around 4pm and cordoned off the street, at the junction of Sutherland Drive and Argyll Avenue, before evacuating neighbours.

When the householders, Laurence and Marjorie Beck, returned they were met with the chaotic scenes and quickly realised what had caused all the fuss.

The bomb which sparked the incident was in fact a Mills hand grenade, or pineapple bomb, which was simply an empty casing which Laurence had been given as a present by his father back in 1942.

It took around two hours before the emergency services were able to stand down on October 11.

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This article appeared in Dumbarton & Vale of Leven Reporter 20 Oct 09

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