Mother’s Lucky Escape after She Stepped Just Inches from LIVE GRENADE
-Deliberately Left on Busy Tourist Beach in Essex, UK
- Amanda Lockey was at Dovercourt beach with her husband and daughters
- She was celebrating her mother's birthday with more than 12 relatives
- The 37-year-old nearly stood on a live grenade before spotting two others
- Mrs Lockey alerted police who were scrambled to the scene
- Bomb disposal squad carried out controlled explosions
- Army believes the Second World War grenades were dumped on the beach
Daily Mail UK, 15 July 2014
A mother had a lucky escape after she came within inches of stepping on a live grenade deliberately left on a busy tourist beach.
Amanda Lockey, 37, was walking along Dovercourt beach in Essex when she nearly trod on the Second World War grenade which still had its pin in it.
The stunned mother-of-two also noticed another two live grenades just feet away and desperately called out to her husband, Bob, 36, and their two young daughters to warn them of the danger.
Lucky: Amanda Lockey, 37, pictured with husband Bob, 36, had a lucky escape after
she stepped just inches from a Second World War live grenade on Dovercourt Beach in Essex
She was on a family day out at the seaside with more than 12 relatives to celebrate her mother's birthday.
Mrs Lockey, of Stanford-le-Hope, Essex, said: ‘I almost trod on the grenade.
‘As soon as I spotted it I noticed it still had its pin in it.
Bomb squad called to detonate three World War II grenades:
Shocking: Amanda Lockey discovered three live Second World War grenades
on Dovercourt beach in Essex. Officers confirmed they were left there deliberately
‘I knew straight away what it was as I had seen grenades in films.
‘I started shouting out to my husband and daughters to be careful because there was a live grenade.
‘I am still in shock now.’
Police were scrambled to the scene and cordoned the area off before a bomb disposal team blew up the three No.36 Mills Bomb hand grenades in controlled explosions.
Mrs Lockey, who works as a chef, said: ‘When they exploded the bomb, I’d never heard anything like it.
‘It was the loudest boom I had ever heard. It shook the ground, it shook my clothes and sent mud up everywhere.
‘It is just so frightening to think what could have happened.’
Captain Nick Mathieson, of the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Regiment, confirmed the grenades appeared to have been placed there on purpose.
He said: ‘The grenades were in very good condition and looked like they had been placed on the beach rather than washed up from the sea.'
Army sources believe the explosives were dumped there by someone who may have discovered them on clearing out their shed.
Mrs Lockey said: 'The grenades had definitely been placed on the sand, they were semi hidden - probably pushed an inch into the beach as I could just see the pins.
'They looked new rather than suffering the effects of being in the sea for more than 50 years.
'There were children playing on the beach and groups of young lads - anything could have happened - it does not bear thinking about.'
A spokesman for Essex Police urged anyone with information about the grenades to get in contact and advised people to call 999 should they find an explosive, rather than disposing of it.
He said: 'There are many unexploded devices around the county so they will inevitably be found by people out walking or when gardening.'