Police Hunt for Lydd Bombers

Police are searching for three youths who are thought to be responsible for an explosion which has wrecked a public toilet in Park Street, Lydd.

Local residents were startled at 11.55 pm on Saturday night when a loud explosion shook the town. The Landlady from the George Hotel told The Looker: “I was out in our car park at 11.55 walking towards the building when all of a sudden there was this huge explosion, at first you wonder what has happened, my first thoughts was has someone been hurt, the toilets are completely wrecked! The blast was so big it has blown out the wall and lifted the roof off the building.”

This is the latest incident thought to be using industrial bird scaring charges. Over the past few weeks a number of incidents have occurred with bird charges being thrown into gardens and in streets, in both Lydd and New Romney.

Rumours on social media have claimed that the charges have been given to a group of youths, by a local farmer, at the time of writing this report, we are awaiting a police statement, but it is thought that a local farmer has been questioned over the allegation that he has given these charges to a group of locals.

The bird scaring charges are a controlled explosive devise and should be treated in the same way as firearms, although readily available on the internet, you are meant to keep them in a secured metal case and a pyrotechnic licence is required to use them in the UK.

Local Lydd town Councillor Vicki Dawson contacted The Looker early Sunday morning and said; “Local residents are very worried, this latest explosion could have killed someone. There has been a spate of local trouble and we really do need to get to the bottom of this!”

Kent County Councillor Carole Waters, told The Looker; “I have requested a meeting with not only the local wardens and PCSO’s but also Kent police, we need to stop this kind of behaviour. We have CCTV footage from both the square and also down Park Street, so lets hope we can put a stop to this.”

Lydd and District Councillor Clive Goddard told The Looker; “The most important thing in this case is that no one was hurt, the damage was quite extensive, and I hope Shepway District Council can get the building safe and re opened as soon as possible.”

 

 

The damage to the toilet was quite extensive and locals have feared that they will have to be demolished and will not be rebuilt, with one local who did not want to be named stating: “This is another nail in the coffin of Lydd, we know what will happen, they will probably knock, them down and the next thing you know there will be a house built there, we are a small community and local people know who are responsible for not only this but a lot of the trouble round Lydd, its time that they were shopped to the police, they smash our bus stops set fire to bins and smash car mirrors and scratch the cars, we need to put a stop to this, I don’t mind youthful fun but what they are doing is criminal damage and someone will get hurt. I hope the person who is supplying these kids with these explosives is charged, he could have been guilty of manslaughter!”

Kent police exclusively told The Looker; “Kent Police is investigating a report of damage caused to the public toilet block in Park Street Lydd.

At 11.57pm on Saturday 19 September, it is reported that a wall and window were damaged by a small explosion.

Police officers went to the scene, cordoned off the toilet block and evacuated approximately 20 residents from nearby houses.

A Ministry of Defence bomb disposal team attended and examined the scene. No devices were located.

Detective Sergeant Cara Ferguson says: ‘We are treating this as an isolated incident and would like to speak to anybody who has any information about the damage.

‘We are particularly keen to hear from any young people from Lydd who may know who was involved.’

Anyone who has any information is asked to contact Kent Police by calling 01843 222 289 quoting reference ZY/033116/16.

Alternatively contact Kent Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.”