New homeowner discovers unexploded 16lb bomb from WWII in his kitchen cupboard

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When Henry Southall collected the keys to his new home he didn't expect to find an unexploded bomb from the Second World War in a kitchen cupboard.

The 24-year-old was giving his parents the guided tour of the house in Borth y Gest, near Porhmadog, in north west Wales, when he found the 16lb artillery shell which was packed with high explosives.

Mr Southall, the owner of Sea View Tea Rooms which is six doors away from his new property, said: 'I had only just got the keys to my house on Friday so thought I'd start some work on it.

'There was someone living in the address before the keys were handed to me. I'm not sure how long the device had been there, but I'm glad I found it when I did as I wouldn't have wanted it going off while I was in bed upstairs.'

The artillery shell and the detonator were taken down to Black Rock Sands and detonated.

'Everyone could hear it around Borth y Gest and Morfa Bychan,' said Mr Southall. I've been told the explosion actually left a crater on the beach.'

Police officers in Porthmadog alerted the Explosive Ordnance Disposal team which carried out a controlled explosion.

Mr Southall added: 'I took a few photos before I went down to the station to show the officers so they could see what type of bomb it was.

'When the bomb disposal team got here they told me it was from the Second World War.'

A military spokesperson confirmed the two shells were found in the home, one an empty 18lb shell and the other was a 16lb shell still full of high explosives.