Overview
- Surrey Police set a 100m cordon in Epsom town centre on Monday after a member of the public brought what was believed to be a World War II mortar shell to the Epsom & Ewell Borough Council front counter.
- Bomb disposal specialists removed the mortar and police lifted the cordon, with The Parade and the wider town centre now reopened.
- Council staff and people living within the cordon were evacuated during the response and have since been told they can go back to their homes and workplaces.
- The incident centered on the council offices on The Parade, which was closed to traffic during the operation while nearby routes such as the High Street stayed open.
- Old wartime munitions still turn up in the UK, and specialist teams routinely assess and remove devices like grenades and mortar shells when they are found or handed in.