Man hits ‘suspected bomb’ with a hammer in Formby to prove it wasn’t real

A bomb disposal team was called to Kew Lane in Formby after a suspicious object, believed to be an unexploded bomb, was unearthed during renovation work.

Merseyside Police and the Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team attended the scene on Monday, October 13, after receiving reports that a “suspected unexploded ordnance” had been discovered.

Fortunately, after a full inspection by the bomb squad, the item was found to be nothing more than a heavily corroded metal pipe, and the incident was safely stood down.

Local resident, John Robinson, who recently purchased and began renovating an old cottage on Kew Lane, explained that the object was discovered by a worker, Timmy Goulbourne, as they were clearing space to move a caravan onto the property.

John said: “We were using a JCB to dig a pathway when Timmy pulled up what looked exactly like a bomb. At first, we weren’t sure what it was. I said it looked like a bomb but, Tim was convinced it wasn’t — he even gave it a few hits with a hammer to prove his point and said, ‘See, it’s not exploding!’”

Although initially dismissed, curiosity grew over the weekend when a local metal detectorist spotted the object and warned that it might be a wartime bomb. That prompted a call to the police, who quickly sent officers and the EOD to investigate.

John added: “The man who sold me the cottage, Jack, sadly passed away, but he used to tell me stories about hearing bombs fall nearby during the Second World War. He said one went off in the fields and another came down but didn’t explode — I thought maybe this could have been that one.”

A spokesperson for Merseyside Police confirmed the details: “We can confirm officers attended open land in Formby following the discovery of a metal pipe initially suspected to be an unexploded ordnance.”

“At around 1.15pm yesterday, Monday 13th October, it was reported that the object had been found in a ditch in open land off Kew Lane over the weekend.”

“As a precaution, the Explosive Ordnance Disposal team attended and assessed the object, confirming it was a rusted metal pipe. The incident has now been stood down.”

The area has since been declared safe, much to the relief of nearby residents — and to the amusement of those who witnessed the unexpected “bomb scare” that turned out to be a harmless piece of pipework.