28 February 2024 , 16:03
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Residents were left feeling "violated" after their homes and gardens were trashed during a bomb removal in Plymouth.
People living in St Michael Avenue, in Keyham, came home to find damage had been inflicted on their properties as the Army removed the 500kg WW2 bomb.
While grateful for the swift action which may have saved their homes from destruction, they are frustrated to have been left with an extensive clean-up job, including repair work expected to run into the tens of thousands.
Martyn Hammond, who lives across the bomb site, said his garden is covered in huge sandbags and has been left destroyed in the aftermath of the removal. He told PlymouthLive: “I can’t afford to replace this, it would cost about £10,000.
“So who pays for it? How do I pay for it? I haven’t got that sort of money. It could be weeks to put this right. We are trying to carry on with life but I’m finding it difficult at the moment. But I can’t afford not to go to work.”
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Olivia, known only by her first name, lives next door to the property that hid the explosive. She added: "We are waiting to see. We don’t know who will pay.”
3,250 people living in 1,219 properties in the Keyham area were last week forced to move from their homes after the discovery of the unexploded Nazi bomb. Army experts successfully removed the explosive and detonated it at sea on Friday.
But when homeowners returned, they were shocked to find their properties covered in mess. Olivia, who lives with her husband and dog, said she her garden wall had been reduced to rubble, while her decking and a pergola were smashed up. The property also suffered damage to the boiler flue, drain pipes, guttering, and the even basement flooded.
A “clean up team” of contractors were at the site on Monday (PlymouthLive/William Telford)Olivia said: “Everything in our garden was smashed including my mother-in-law’s rose bush, she has passed away, sentimental things. They smashed the steps in my basement.”
“My dining room window was broken and there is mud everywhere, up the walls, and they have been through my personal belongings. They have used my phone charger and I found my neighbour’s kettle in my house, they had used my tea, coffee and syrup. We feel violated and traumatised.”
Olivia has also lost business opportunities, as the hairdresser works from the home she has lived in for five years. She said: “I’m self-employed and have been off work for a week. We are grateful (for the work of the Army and council) but we have had no help and have just been left.”
Martyn, who has lived in his property for eight years with his dog and lodger, said: “We are still reeling from shock, it has been a rollercoaster of emotions. I had a little oasis out the back. There is nothing left in my garden apart from a couple of pots. The trellis was ripped down and the decking destroyed. They have been in and out of the house and took my kettle and put it in Olivia’s.
He added: “I had a 120-year-old olive tree. They cut it down with a saw and smashed up the pot. They even used my tools, I found a saw in the garden. My garden furniture is wrecked. I’ve recovered two chairs and a bench though. I have lost my whole wall, fence and gates. And now I have learned my other wall is damaged so that’s a repair as well."
Martyn said the community pulled together to help clear the debris, adding: “We have all got to know each other a lot better, which is great. It’s made this community tighter.” He also said he is thankful the Army saved his house and said the council had been supportive. He said: “We are not ungrateful, but there was damage, which was unnecessary.”
Residents say they have been left feeling “shocked”, “traumatised” and “violated” (PlymouthLive/William Telford)A “clean up team” of contractors from South West Highways was at the site on Monday morning [February 26]. They worked to remove roughly 20 huge containers filled with sand, placed around the site of the bomb by the military. Some bags were taken by a crane, but others had to be emptied by hand.
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Initially there were fears that the three houses closest to the bomb would be totally destroyed if the bomb had to be exploded or unexpectedly detonated during the removal process. Olivia said: “They said to get on the phone to the insurance company because it doesn’t look good.
Martyn said he was left shocked and “numb” when told he may lose his house. He said: “It didn’t feel real, to be honest. We had a meeting on Wednesday night and were told our houses were going to fall down.”
All three houses were told they could move all their possessions out, but Martyn said: “The van was outside but I said ‘no’. I have too much stuff and I didn’t want people going through my stuff. And the insurance company said I wasn’t covered. They said I was covered for an explosion but not acts of war. Come on, this bomb has been here 80 years.”
The Mirror has approached MoD for comment.