A magnet fisherman has been left stunned after he discovered nearly 400 live bombs in a river.
Dave Jordan found a bin bag full of railway detonators while clearing the site.
Railway detonators are small explosives used on railways to warn train drivers of hazards or obstructions ahead.
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They are placed on the rails and explode when a train wheel passes over them, producing a loud bang to alert the driver, as reported by What’s The Jam.
After the discovery, police closed the road to stop pedestrians and traffic until the Explosive Ordnance Disposal unit arrived.
They collected up to 379 rail detonators and safely removed them from the site on the River Nene in Northampton.
And Dave, who regularly goes magnet fishing with a group of friends, says he was thankful they didn’t go off.
“They can be volatile,” the 47-year-old caretaker said.
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“One isn’t a massive bang, but 379 in a bag was pretty scary.
“The police arrived really quickly and closed off the street.
“I didn’t expect all the mayhem, to be honest.
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“It would have been a big bang if they had all gone off in one go.”
Magnet fishing, also known as magnetic fishing, is a hobby that involves using strong magnets on ropes to retrieve metallic objects from bodies of water.
It is gaining popularity and has led to the discovery of a wide range of items, from discarded debris to valuable artefacts.
Dave added: “We go all around the UK and have even been to the USA and found some crazy stuff.
“But I didn’t expect to find a whole bag full of detonators.
“It was nerve-wracking.
“It actually blew my mind.”
A Northamptonshire Police spokesperson said: “Shortly after 4 pm on Sunday, April 13, a member of the public reported that they had found some railway detonators while clearing the canal behind the Carlsberg site in Northampton.
“A road closure was put in place to stop pedestrians and traffic from driving close to the site until the EOD arrived.
“This was lifted at about 7.35 pm.
“The EOD collected up to 379 rail detonators and safely removed them from the site.”
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