HC Deb 21 May 1946 vol 423 c37W
Mr. Nutting

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that, on 11th May, three corrugated iron shelters near Baggrave Hall, Leicester, unguarded by either police or military, contained a great number of wooden packages labelled aromatics, highly inflammable and poison, some of which had fallen down and were lying in the roadway; and what steps he will take to ensure that such dangerous material is removed from all places where it cannot be under constant guard.

Mr. Lawson

As a result of observations made on the spot it appears that the two shelters concerned had been tampered with. As soon as the boxes were discovered to be outside the shelters they were immediately put under cover and the shelters were re-stacked the following day. The stores contained in these boxes were not lethal. Every effort is being made to dispose of surplus ammunition and other similar stores as quickly as possible. It is impracticable to provide static guards for all such stores, but in the absence of static guards military patrols are employed as is done in the case of the particular ammunition store in question.