A LOCAL family who mistakenly carried a World War Two bomb to their home have spoken out about the ordeal and warned that more could be discovered.

Shortly after 3.30pm on Monday February 17, the discovery of a live incendiary bomb at an address in Cogan, Penarth, led to widespread disruption as roads were closed and the area evacuated.

Now the lady who found the device has described the event and apologised for the mishap to those affected.

Tammy Ryan, of Andrew Road, Penarth, discovered the bomb with her husband and daughter whilst walking their dog on Penarth Beach.

She said: "Emma, my daughter, found the device. She showed us and we thought it was a nautical device like a fathom meter, which is used to measure the depth of water. We thought it had come off a ship and washed up on the beach in the storm".

"I thought there would either be money in it or a message in a bottle. I tried to unscrew it", added Emma, aged 11.

"We brought it home and started googling it using Google Lens", Tammy continued. "The results came back and said it was a German World War Two incendiary. Then we looked more closely at it and could see the German stamp.

"We called the police and I think the poor handler at the police station thought it was a hoax. I said: 'Look, it’s not a joke but I think I’ve got a bomb in my back garden and I don’t know what to do with it’.

After the bomb was discovered, a 50 metre cordon was issued by police and local residents were taken to Penarth Leisure Centre for four hours.

"The atmosphere was really good actually. It was a bit of a Blitz Spirit - no pun intended. Everyone was really good about it. The staff were brilliant. They gave us cups of coffee and opened the vending machines".

“In a way I’m glad that we did find it because I brought up three sons. I know what they would have done if they’d have got hold of it. They’d have tried to take it apart.

"So in hindsight if it had been discovered and ended up in the wrong hands then the outcome could have been really quite nasty".

After a bomb disposal unit was deployed, the device was safely removed and destroyed. However, Tammy has warned that more bombs could be discovered after EDF Energy dredged 110,000 tonnes of sediment from the Bristol Channel and deposited the material near Cardiff Bay in 2018.

The dredging operation was part of work to construct a new nuclear power station, called Hinkley Point C, in Somerset.

Tammy said: "The police phoned and said the council are going to have to close some of the beach so that they can see if any more have washed up.

“They believe the dredging at Hinkley Point could have unearthed bits of ordinance and that the recent storms brought it ashore. So, if there’s one there could be others.

"The whole of this coastline, especially the dock area, was really quite heavily bombed during the Second World War".

The Vale of Glamorgan Council were approached for comment.

An interactive map of air raids in the United Kingdom can be found at: think.taylorandfrancis.com/bombing-britain-map/?utm_source=CPB&utm_medium=cms&utm_campaign=JOG10365#