No link I'm affraid, I got it from another forum.
Walgrave in Northampton.
The father of a teenager who was injured when a mortar he had dismantled exploded said he ‘was very lucky not to lose his life.’
Luke Stillman, 16, from Walgrave, suffered the injuries to his hands when the explosive he bought off the internet detonated.
His father Terry told the Herald & Post that his son was a collector of military items and they were told that the Spanish 81mm mortar round had been disarmed before he bought it from a specialised action site for 46 and had it posted to his home.
The mortar, when in use, is described as a ‘cluster munition’ and is typically used on the battlefield to combat troops and tanks.
Mr Stillman said: “Luke collects military bits and pieces and we bought him the mortar on the strict belief that it was inert.
“Like all boys his age, he likes stripping things down and putting them back together but it turns out that the detonator had not been removed.
“He was very lucky not to lose his life because when it went off he was standing up but the injuries he sustained did not look very nice at all.”
Luke suffered burns to his hands and has lost the top of his index finger and thumb after the explosion and has missed time at school due to the accident.
Mr Stillman says that he has been in contact with the specialist auction site where he bought the item which has since banned the seller.
He added: “We have been in contact with the seller but he denies being responsible. Right at the end of the conversation he did say, I hope your son gets better but that was right at the end.”
Police have now issued a warning about the dangers of handling similar material and are investigating under the Firearms Act how the ‘live’ mortar round came to be in his possession.
Detective Sergeant Andy Rogers, of Northampton CID, said: “This incident could potentially have resulted in Luke sustaining a much more serious injury.
“Anyone taking apart ordnance of any description should exercise the greatest care when doing so.
“Messing around with any ordnance is potentially very dangerous. If you discover ordnance of any description, steer clear and contact the police immediately.
“We need to know how this mortar round was still ‘live’ and available for purchase in this country and, to that end, we are investigating to see whether any criminal offences have been committed under the Firearms Act.”
The incident happened on September 16 but details were only released yesterday
Walgrave in Northampton.
The father of a teenager who was injured when a mortar he had dismantled exploded said he ‘was very lucky not to lose his life.’
Luke Stillman, 16, from Walgrave, suffered the injuries to his hands when the explosive he bought off the internet detonated.
His father Terry told the Herald & Post that his son was a collector of military items and they were told that the Spanish 81mm mortar round had been disarmed before he bought it from a specialised action site for 46 and had it posted to his home.
The mortar, when in use, is described as a ‘cluster munition’ and is typically used on the battlefield to combat troops and tanks.
Mr Stillman said: “Luke collects military bits and pieces and we bought him the mortar on the strict belief that it was inert.
“Like all boys his age, he likes stripping things down and putting them back together but it turns out that the detonator had not been removed.
“He was very lucky not to lose his life because when it went off he was standing up but the injuries he sustained did not look very nice at all.”
Luke suffered burns to his hands and has lost the top of his index finger and thumb after the explosion and has missed time at school due to the accident.
Mr Stillman says that he has been in contact with the specialist auction site where he bought the item which has since banned the seller.
He added: “We have been in contact with the seller but he denies being responsible. Right at the end of the conversation he did say, I hope your son gets better but that was right at the end.”
Police have now issued a warning about the dangers of handling similar material and are investigating under the Firearms Act how the ‘live’ mortar round came to be in his possession.
Detective Sergeant Andy Rogers, of Northampton CID, said: “This incident could potentially have resulted in Luke sustaining a much more serious injury.
“Anyone taking apart ordnance of any description should exercise the greatest care when doing so.
“Messing around with any ordnance is potentially very dangerous. If you discover ordnance of any description, steer clear and contact the police immediately.
“We need to know how this mortar round was still ‘live’ and available for purchase in this country and, to that end, we are investigating to see whether any criminal offences have been committed under the Firearms Act.”
The incident happened on September 16 but details were only released yesterday
