Replica grenade causes bomb scare along River Cam

Police shut off an area around Trinity College to the public on Sunday (19/09), after a suspected bomb was found in the River Cam. A magnet fisherman in a dinghy had pulled the bomb out of the water, and it was placed in a grey bucket in the middle of Trinity Lawn until the police arrived.

At the scene, police were reportedly overheard saying they were not happy the grenade had been moved and will be “having words with those who pulled it out,” although those who discovered the bomb had already left the scene.

The annual Chariots of Fire event had to change their route due to the scare, and punters had their trips cancelled and refunded.

The bomb was later identified by the bomb disposal squad as a “replica number 5 grenade used for training purposes in World War One.”

This is the most recent case of a suspected explosive found in the River Cam.

In July 2021, it was reported that a grenade was found by the Cambridge Magnet Fishing group, which scours parts of the river most weekends for scrap metal and other intriguing finds. It was the 6th suspected explosive found in the Cam that year.

Featured Image credit: Mike McBey via Creative Commons License