Wimbledon bomb scare: Streets placed on lockdown after hand grenade brought into police station during gun amnesty

Lockdown: The police station was cordoned off
@ningnong72
Mark Chandler7 February 2017
WEST END FINAL

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A street was placed on lockdown after a member of the public dropped a hand grenade off at a police station during the Met’s gun amnesty.

Queens Road in Wimbledon was cordoned off at around 1.40pm as specialist units were drafted in to deal with the unexpected drop-off.

The street was taped off for around an hour while the item was checked over. The police station was evacuated as the checks were carried out.

A spokesman for the Met said: “The item was handed in as part of this week's firearms surrender.

“It is believed the item that was handed in dates back a number of years.

“At 2.30pm the station was reopened and the item was taken away to be disposed safely.”

It comes as the Met Police urged Londoners to hand in any guns in their possession this week.

The campaign allows people to surrender their weapons at a number of police stations, including Wimbledon, without having to give their details.

Launching the week-long amnesty on Monday, Detective Chief Superintendent Jim Stokley, of the Met’s Trident and Area Crime Command, said: "Our aim is to remove all illegal firearms from the streets of London and we work relentlessly to disrupt and arrest anyone suspected of being involved in gun crime.

“If you hold on to an illegal gun, you are putting yourself and your loved ones in danger and you are likely to be arrested and face at least five years in jail.”

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