By J. Brock (FINN)

Explosives experts have completed their task and rendered safe a1000-pound bomb that workers dug up at Stanley Airport on Thursday. According to an EOD spokesman, today’s task was to place explosive charges on either side of the bomb, blow the casing off and burn the plastic explosives inside. This operation was safely carried out at 1230 LMT today. Seeing that islanders were kept away from the area, all that was observed – through binoculars – was a puff of smoke.

Police Chief Officer, Dave Morris, confirmed that it was a British Bomb that Explosives experts were dealing with. Further to this, an EOD spokesman confirmed that the bomb was part of a payload of a Vulcan Bomber sent to destroy the airport during the 1982 conflict.

The 21-year saga began on 01 May 1982 when a Vulcan Bomber that had flown non-stop from Ascension Island and delivered that 1000-pound payload. Instead of exploding, the live bomb burrowed into the peat and lay undisturbed until Thursday, 16 October 2003. Indeed, there were five such Vulcan Raids on the Falklands.

EOD experts were able to identify the manufacturer of the bomb and trace its construction down to the person who tightened the screws. This provided vital information on how to dismantle the bomb and render it safe.

Several Falkland Islanders remember the night on which that bomb, Chief Police Officer, Dave Morris was, at the time, a Royal Marine who was anxiously awaiting news of his family in Stanley. Another Police officer who was in the Falklands at the time is Police Inspector Len McGill – deja-vu all around.