Police say more than 400 homes have been evacuated due to a munitions find in Newtownards
Police update following the discovery of a suspected historic piece of munition in the Rivenwood area of Newtownards.
Superintendent Johnston McDowell said: “I’d like to provide the public with an update regarding the current status of the live operation taking place in the Rivenwood area of Newtownards.
“A large number of homes have been evacuated over the last two days, as police commenced an evacuation operation following the discovery of a suspected historic piece of munition on Thursday 15th August, just after 11am.
“In excess of 400 homes have been affected by this operation which is a significant number of properties, and partners and I would like to thank residents for their patience and understanding as the operation continues.
[ CHECK THE UPDATE BELOW].
“If home owners or residents have not been spoken to directly by police, or have not received information in relation to this matter, it’s unlikely that they will be impacted by the clearance operation at this time.
Superintendent McDowell continued: “The operation has now moved into the mitigation phase and work has commenced on establishing protection to nearby properties and facilities.
“There is no definite timescale, however, previous operations of this nature have shown that this type of operation commonly takes five days or more before the area is safe to enter.
“A police cordon remains in place and will do for the duration of the operation, with road users being advised to continue to avoid the area.
“Whilst I appreciate the frustration and disruption that this has caused, keeping people safe is paramount and we will not take any risks.
“If you have been affected by this incident, please read the FAQ document in this link:
www.psni.police.uk/rivenwood .”
UPDATE 11.47 am Tuesday 20th August 2024.
Police update following the discovery of a suspected historic piece of munition in the Rivenwood area of Newtownards.
Superintendent McDowell said: “I am pleased to say that great progress has been achieved over the last 12 hours and the mitigation phase is nearly complete on day three of the operation.
“The team of military experts on site have worked tirelessly overnight to work towards the completion of this phase, by reducing any damaging effects where possible, including the construction of a sand-filled structure to support the operation.
“The decision on whether the bomb found will be dealt with on site or removed has been discussed at great length, and following advice from Ammunition Technical Officers (ATO) colleagues who have assessed the device, I can confirm that this will be dealt with on site.
“If officers have engaged with you to evacuate, your cooperation at this time would be greatly appreciated to assist with the ongoing efforts to complete the operation and make the area safe again.
“I must reiterate that there is a risk of death or serious injury to anyone who does not leave the area if they have been instructed to do so.
“Once again, I want to thank the public who have cooperated with our officers for their patience and understanding.”
UPDATE 11.32am Wednesday 21st August 2024.
Yesterday afternoon, Tuesday 20th August, at approximately 3.38pm, Ammunition Technical Officers carried out a controlled explosion of a bomb, which was discovered in the Rivenwood area of Newtownards on Thursday, 15th August.
The item found was confirmed to be a German SC500 kg World War Two bomb and understood to have been around 83 years old. Even though this was a historic piece of munition, the bomb still carried a significant risk to public safety and a highly complex evacuation operation was prompted.
Following three days of operational activity to make the area safe, police confirmed just after 6pm last night that residents could return to their homes.
Check out the short video: https://vimeo.com/1001101526 .
