Map charts county's unexploded bomb risk

1:30pm Thursday 25th September 2008

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The risks posed by war-time ordinance buried under Pembrokeshire has been revealed by a new unexploded bomb map.

With a huge amount of military activity and installations, the county was a major target for Hitler's forces during World War II.

Statistics from military historians show that more than 600 high explosive bombs were dropped over Pembrokeshire during WWII, and it is believed that almost one in ten of those failed to explode.

The area around Pembroke and Pembroke Dock, which was home to an air base, barracks, and a naval oil depot, is one of only three high risk areas in Wales according to the map, put together by specialist bomb finding firm, Zetica.

Zetica figures show that 428 bombs fell over that area alone, which could equate to around 40 unexploded bombs.

But Mike Sainsbury, MD of Zetica, told the Western Telegraph that the actual number of unexploded bombs is probably much lower because much of the ordinance will already have been found.

He said that even in the high danger zones shown on the Zetica maps, the risks to the majority of the public are tiny, but worthy of investigation for developers and construction firms.

"Pembrokeshire was seen as a very strategically important place and a good place for an invasion and that's why it was targeted in the war," said Mr Sainsbury.

"As a hazard it has a very low probability of you finding one, but the consequences are so great that it has to be taken seriously.

"A lot of contractors contact us to find out the risks but some aren't as scrupulous as others."