November 3, 2024

Homes evacuated after huge stash of secret stash of artillery shells found

The shells belonged to war hero Daniel Connor MBE, former sergeant major and weapons expert of the Royal Artillery (Credit: MEN Media)

A street was evacuated after a war hero’s secret stash of artillery shells was discovered.

Nicki Connor was cleaning out her late father’s house on Saturday with family friend Scott Sawyer when she came across four unexploded shells.

They belonged to his father Daniel Connor MBE, a former Royal Artillery sergeant major and weapons expert who died last month aged 78.

She believes he collected them during his 30-year military career and hid them in a plastic tub on the garden patio of his home in Altrincham, Trafford.

Daniel Connor MBE, who died aged 78 on October 22. Today the discovery of four artillery shells at the army veteran's former home on Avocet Drive in Broadheath, Altrincham, sparked a major bomb scare. — The shells were discovered at the home of Daniel Connor MBE, a former soldier and explosives expert who died last month (Credit: Nicki Connor/MEN Media)

Nicki said: ‘I lifted the bathtub, it had water in it and I was emptying it. It was heavy.

‘I walked in and Scott said you had to take a look at this. When he showed me the shells, my stomach dropped.

‘I said we have to get out of here. Dad told Scott that he got rid of them five years ago. They are about as big as your arm. I guess he just took them.

‘My dad was a war hero. They would have been when I was in the military, in special operations. I knew I would find bullets and other things. But I didn’t think I’d find that.

A 100-meter cordon was placed while the projectiles were secured (Credits: MEN Media)

‘He would love this. It’s a farewell gift.

The couple quickly alerted Greater Manchester Police, who then visited the house in Avocet Drive, Broadheath, shortly after midday.

The houses were evacuated and a 100-meter cordon was placed while an anti-explosion squad responded to the scene.

They are believed to have been taken away at around 6pm before a controlled explosion was carried out in a nearby farmers field.

Scott, 48, of Hale, a former neighbor and best friend of Connor, said the projectiles were about 30 inches long and were thought to date from the late 1980s.

He added: “I thought, ‘You told me you got rid of them.'”