Shock as wartime flare is found in loft
A Second World War flare was found embedded in a roof – 60 years after being dropped from a German bomber.
Garry Hattersley was renovating his newly-bought house in South Street, Havant, when he came across the device in the loft space.
He thought the 18in rocket-shaped flare was a bomb and immediately called the police.
Officers swarmed around the building and called the Royal Navy Bomb Disposal Squad.
When they arrived, they found that it was not a bomb but rather an illumination flare that was more than 60 years old.
Mr Hattersley, 39, said: 'When I saw it I just thought, ''Blimey, that doesn't look good''. It had got stuck in the loft space and must have fallen out when we started trying to clear out the property.
'I just hope we don't find any more of them.'
German bombers are believed to have dropped flares to light up areas which they wanted to hit.
Dan Archer, from the bomb disposal squad, said: 'It was in a good state, but I don't think there was an immediate risk of it going off.
'It was quite clear to us that it was a phosphorus flare but it looked like it had been there some time.
'Around it were old trunks and bits and pieces scattered everywhere. The house had been empty for a long time too.
'These things do crop up every now and then, and they can of course still hurt people even if they are not bombs.'
The 250-year-old grade two listed house has been owned by the same family since it was built, until Mr Hattersley took possession of it last week.
The previous owner did not use the house, only a garage that was on the site, allowing it to fall into disrepair.
Mr Hattersley added: 'It's been empty for a long, long time.
'The house is in a real state but we can't really do anything until we get permission because it is listed.
'We were just trying to make it watertight when we found this thing.'
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Thursday 24 May 2012
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