A school in Plymouth has been forced to close after two mysterious metal objects thought to be World War II ordnance were found in the ground beneath it.
Millbay Academy- known locally as the ‘Red School’- sits upon a patch of council-owned land which is currently being dug up ahead of a planned community home development.
But during the ground investigation works, two unidentified metal objects were found in the ground, prompting the council to close the school as a ‘precautionary measure’ while their origins are investigated.
The council has stressed that the objects could be any number of things, including reinforced concrete or pieces of track from the old railway station which was located nearby.
In a statement on Facebook, local MP Luke Pollard told followers the ordnance was ‘magnetic’ and said ‘after our experience of the Second World War bomb in Keyham, I know some people may be worried about what these objects could be.
‘I have been working with the city council to make sure we have a thorough plan to investigate the site and keep people safe at every stage.’
He added: ‘experts including Brimstone UXO and colleagues from the military bomb disposal teams, will be carrying out an ‘uncovering’ to establish what the anomalies are. During this work there will be no need to evacuate or extend the existing cordon currently limited to the site itself.’
Mr Pollard also warned that if World War II ordnance was discovered at the site, experts would need to assess the device/s and determine how best to make them safe.
‘To do that, there is a small percentage chance that the cordon (currently limited to the site itself) would need to be extended. Details of how much the cordon would be extended or for how long, would be determined by experts’ assessment of the device/s size and stability and their plan for making it safe.’
In a statement posted on its website the school announced: ‘Millbay Academy will be closed to secondary school students on Monday, 18th November 2024, as a precautionary measure.
‘This decision supports safety during investigative work on two underground objects identified near the school site. While these items are likely harmless remnants of old infrastructure, further inspection will be carried out by Local Authority experts to confirm.’
To ensure children do not miss out on lessons, the school has said it will provide ‘online learning resources via Google Classroom’.
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