Stanley Baker, who runs Nature Boy Garden Services, described the day as “fairly eventful” due to his unexpected find.
He said: “I was doing some gardening at the end of Birds Hill, near the Wise Lotus, and as I was cutting a bramble patch with a hedge cutter I came across the unexploded ordinance.”
Stanley recalled that the object was “just lying on the floor, at the bottom of this patch of brambles”.
He was initially unconcerned, saying: “Honestly, the first thing I did was throw it pointy end at the ground to see if I could make it stick in there!”
Stanley then continued working after putting the missile on the wall next to him.
However, a passer-by later confirmed his concerns and suggested he alert the authorities.
Stanley promptly called 101, and Herts police arrived “within a few minutes” to implement road closures and evacuate nearby shops.
In the midst of the drama, Stanley continued with his gardening duties.
Herts police later told him they believed the item to be the Tungsten tip from a tank missile, and said they had “no clue” how it ended up in the garden.
A spokesperson for Herts police said: “Police were called at 10.15am today (Friday, November 10) to report the discovery of a suspicious device in a garden on Birds Hill, Letchworth Garden City.
“Officers attended and a cordon and road closures were put in place as a safety precaution while Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Specialists were contacted and then attended.”
The EOD inspected the object, confirmed it was not active, and safely removed it.
[From the Comet of November 10, 2023]
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