Bomb squad clears ordnance in Devon after Pilton evacuation

devon residents on Pilton Street in Barnstaple were told to leave their homes on Saturday evening after unexploded ordnance was found at a property. Police later said the Royal Navy's bomb squad had removed it, and people who were asked to leave were able to go back the same evening.

One resident said her mum was evacuated by an officer, while another local reported seeing six or seven police cars in Pilton Street at around 8.30pm. Barnstaple Police neighbourhood team posted shortly before 9.30pm that the device had been safely removed by Royal Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal and that residents could return.

Pilton Street response

The police presence was concentrated near the fish and chip shop, about halfway along Pilton Street, a road that runs less than half a kilometre between the A39 and St Mary's Church. Part of the street was also reported closed to traffic near the fish and chip shop. A local business on Pilton Street said it was unaffected and able to open as usual.

Janet Coates, the town councillor for Pilton and recent mayor of Barnstaple, praised the police response on the Barnstaple Police Facebook page. She wrote, "Thank you for your prompt response and clarity of information given. Residents greatly appreciated your assistance."

Barnstaple Police statement

The neighbourhood team wrote, "Following earlier concerns of an unexploded ordnance at a property in Pilton, we can confirm this has now been safely removed by Royal Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD)." It added, "Residents who were asked to leave their homes are now able to return. Thank you to everyone for your patience and cooperation this evening. Your support and community spirit have been greatly appreciated."

The sequence mattered because the disruption started at around 8.15pm, when a reader said Pilton Street was closed and her mum had been evacuated, and then grew into a larger police presence by around 8.30pm. By shortly before 9.30pm, the same evening, the ordnance had been taken away and residents were back inside.

Pilton, Barnstaple

The incident unfolded in Pilton, Barnstaple, in Devon, during England's World Cup opener. The report said previous ordnance discoveries in Devon and Plymouth have caused days of disruption over a wider area, but in this case police ended the evacuation the same evening after the Royal Navy EOD team removed the device.