More than 170 World War II bombs found under children's playground

In January, the first bombs (still containing explosives) were discovered in a playground in Wooler, Northumberland. A total of 176 have been found so far, with experts fearing more could follow.

The playground was being refurbished when workers discovered a suspicious object while digging the foundations. “It’s shocking to think that children have been playing on bombs, and it’s a really challenging situation,” said local councillor Mark Mather.

Wooler Parish Council hired Brimstone Site Investigations to survey the playground, and quickly realised that "the scale of the problem was much larger than anticipated".

Officials said 65 bombs, each weighing about 10 pounds (4.5 kilograms), were found in an area less than 10 square meters (10 square feet). Another 90 bombs were later found in another area of ​​about 1.8 square meters (2.5 square feet).

"Due to the large amount of buried explosives, the survey could not be completed in two days as planned and more time is needed," officials said.

It is believed that the area where the playground was built was originally used as a National Guard training ground during the war, and the bombs were buried at the end of the war. "I never thought that as a parish councillor I would have to deal with bomb disposal," Mr Mather said.

The Ministry of Defence confirmed that a team visited the site twice in January. “Obviously this discovery was unexpected, but we are pleased that we have been able to secure additional funding to allow this vital work to be carried out safely,” a county council spokesman said.

Unexploded bombs from World War II have exploded without warning before. Last October, a bomb dropped by the United States during the war exploded at an airport in Japan, creating a large crater in the runway.

Cao Phong (according to CBS, CNBC, The Guardian)