New Malden headteacher: grenade explosion 'no big bang'
4:20pm Wednesday 18th April 2012 in Where I Live By David Lindsell, Assistant Editor
Burlington Junior School in New Malden
The headteacher of a New Malden school where a World War Two hand grenade was discovered this morning said there was no big bang.
Pip Utting, headteacher of Burlington Junior School, said a gardener had found the grenade in the grounds this morning.
She said: "We are preparing for an allotment and she was preparing the garden and pulling out rusty nails and found it."
Children did not even notice the controlled explosion she said.
She said: "You kind of imagine a crater but its more of a very sad pffft noise. It is not as dramatic.
"The explosion was no great shaking moment."
The grenade was found early before school opened allowing the bomb disposal squad to arrive and cordon off the area before children arrived.
Mrs Utting said: "If it had happened at lunch time there would have been an evacuation.
"It is not something you expect to hear has been found when you start your day and hopefully it is something that is a one-off."
A spokesman for London Ambulance which also attended, said: "We were called at 8.30am to Burlington Road.
"We sent an ambulance crew, a duty manager and a hazardous area response team who have special training and equipment to deal with potentially harmful situations.
"However, on this occasion they did not need to treat anybody. We stood by at the scene until about 10am, but there were no patients to treat."
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Hand grenade found at New Malden school
