War-era bomb found in Manchester

A WWII bomb was found yesterday by a group of men in Newleigh Close, Mandeville, during excavation for a fish pond. 

Head of the Manchester Police Superintendent Lloyd Darby praised the men for their swift action in securing the weapon and for taking precautions to ensure public safety.

“These things seem to have a long-term life and so it was handled very carefully. Not because it is old it means it can't go off. It may not go off with the same power as when it was new, but it could still do damage," Darby said.

How the bomb got to the location, or how long it has been there remains a mystery, but Darby emphasised that the men ought to be commended for their awareness and interest in public safety. 

Superintendent Darby said members of the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) who were subsequently called by the police, retrieved the bomb with the intention of detonating it in Vernon Field, Clarendon. 

Darby added that based on information from the JDF experts, even in the stage it was found, it was a risk for any civilian to handle it. 

"We are grateful that nothing happened,” he added. 

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