Weedon Bec grenade mound's £1m clear-up bill
A parish council fears it could be facing bankruptcy over the £1m cost of clearing a mound where two Second World War hand grenades were found.
The mound near a play area in Weedon Bec, near Daventry, was being cleared by the parish council in July when the explosives were found.
The bomb squad was called but the council found the cost of clearing the site quadruple to more than £1m.
The mound is thought to include waste from the nearby Weedon Barracks.
The council believes as the waste was created by the Army and the cost of clearing it should be paid for by the Ministry of Defence (MoD).
The mound, near a play area, in Weedon Bec, near Daventry, was being cleared by the parish council in July when the explosives were found
The parish council has also had to pay £1,680 a week to provide 24 hour security for the site and there are only sufficient reserve funds within the Weedon Bec budget to cover this for 12 more weeks.
Zoe O'Toole, the chair of the council, said local researchers have found evidence that ordinance was dumped by the military at the nearby barracks, but the MoD has not yet committed to providing the funding.
"I am so frustrated. It is fair to say I've lost hours of sleep over this. Ultimately it could mean bankruptcy," she said.
The MoD said: "Safety is of paramount importance to MoD and we are examining ways in which we may be able to provide financial support to the parish council to address possible ordnance in addition to our on-going commitment to remove ordnance should it be encountered."
