Overview
- Construction workers uncovered a suspected Second World War explosive at Sandy Lane Business Park, prompting a 100-metre cordon and the evacuation of 96 homes.
- Coventry City Council set up a rest centre, provided overnight hotel rooms for 15 households (37 people and one dog), and supported residents while emergency teams worked.
- Explosive Ordnance Disposal teams from 8 Engineer Brigade used 340 tonnes of sand to bury and stabilise the device as part of a delicate render-safe plan before disposal.
- Soldiers carried out a controlled detonation of the fuse that produced a loud 'boom' and the device was rendered safe and removed, with cordons lifted so people could return the following day.
- The find underlines Coventry’s wartime history and the ongoing risk of buried ordnance during redevelopment, which places repeated logistical and welfare demands on local emergency services and councils.