- #1
Thread Owner
A seven-year-old boy sparked a security scare in Norfolk after finding a WWII bomb with his brand new metal detector Christmas present.
Sonny Cater was exploring fields near his home in King's Lynn with his brother, Marley, and his parents on Boxing Day, when he came across the buried object.
He took it home and his father Jem washed it under a tap, before becoming suspicious and calling his father-in-law, Steve Wood, who had worked for 20 years as an RAF armourer.
Mr Wood advised them to put it in a bucket of water - a precaution in case it was a German phosphorous bomb, which would ignite if dry - and call the police.
His mother Tracey told the Daily Telegraph: "We are dumbfounded that he discovered this on his first go.
"We are going to go out again to see if he can find something Roman. It has made our Christmas.
"It was caked in mud and Jem just thought it was a lump of metal and took it home.
"Sonny did become a little nervous with the arrival of the emergency services."
Bomb disposal experts from RAF Wittering in Cambridgeshire identified the device as a 10lb British practice bomb from WWII and it was removed for safe disposal, although it did not contain explosives.
Military used practice bombs in the first and second world wars so they could train without causing the same amount of damage as they would with a regular bomb.
Training pilots would also use the 10lb practice bombs as they were cheaper than the £1000 worth of bomb used in real military attacks.
Flight Lieutenant Donald Earl, an RAF Wittering spokesman, has advised people to call police and not move suspicious items if found.
Sonny Cater was exploring fields near his home in King's Lynn with his brother, Marley, and his parents on Boxing Day, when he came across the buried object.
He took it home and his father Jem washed it under a tap, before becoming suspicious and calling his father-in-law, Steve Wood, who had worked for 20 years as an RAF armourer.
Mr Wood advised them to put it in a bucket of water - a precaution in case it was a German phosphorous bomb, which would ignite if dry - and call the police.
His mother Tracey told the Daily Telegraph: "We are dumbfounded that he discovered this on his first go.
"We are going to go out again to see if he can find something Roman. It has made our Christmas.
"It was caked in mud and Jem just thought it was a lump of metal and took it home.
"Sonny did become a little nervous with the arrival of the emergency services."
Bomb disposal experts from RAF Wittering in Cambridgeshire identified the device as a 10lb British practice bomb from WWII and it was removed for safe disposal, although it did not contain explosives.
Military used practice bombs in the first and second world wars so they could train without causing the same amount of damage as they would with a regular bomb.
Training pilots would also use the 10lb practice bombs as they were cheaper than the £1000 worth of bomb used in real military attacks.
Flight Lieutenant Donald Earl, an RAF Wittering spokesman, has advised people to call police and not move suspicious items if found.
