HC Deb 23 March 1960 vol 620 cc44-5W
67. Mr. Marquand

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he will make a statement concerning the abandonment of Army stores of live explosives in a quarry at Great Ayton in such a manner that Middlesbrough school boys were able to remove some of them, thus causing great danger to themselves and other persons.

Mr. Kitson

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware of the discovery of bombs in a quarry at Great Ayton; how they got there; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Soames

The objects found are a mixture of empty containers and practice mortar bombs filled with sand. None of them contain explosives. The quarry is used as a refuse tip and I understand that the bombs were dumped in it recently by a local merchant. He had bought them from a Royal Ordnance Factory in 1942 as scrap metal. A large quantity of rubble has been dumped to obliterate them.