Army bomb disposal called to chemical find at Spalding Grammar School

An army bomb disposal team, the EOD, was called to Spalding Grammar School following the discovery of picric acid - a substance used in the making of explosives - and carried out a controlled explosion on the field.

The discovery was made shortly before 5pm yesterday and police are describing it as an "isolated incident" and say "at no time was there a safety issue".

A Lincolnshire Police spokesman said: "Incident 286 of yesterday was the discovery of picric acid (trinitrophenolo) at Spalding Grammar School.

"The substance was found in a chemical store out of school hours, just before 5pm, and the EOD were called and later disposed of it.

"An isolated incident and at no time was there a safety issue."

The school's director of resources, Alison Wild, said: "After the end of the school day, it was noticed that the contents of one chemical bottle had started to degrade. Advice was immediately sought from CLEAPSS, our safety advisory service, and the standard protocol for the removal and destruction of this compound was followed.

"Residents of the St Thomas’s Road area may have been aware of a single loud band around 9.30pm. This was as a consequence of the EMO safely destroying the chemical in a controlled explosion.

"Whilst left stationary and unopened there is no risk of danger and therefore our students were safe at all times. This was simply a precautionary measure."

Spalding police tweeted yesterday evening: "Residents of Priory Road Area. To let you know, some very old chemicals have been found at a local school and are currently being disposed of by EOD. It was the school's priority to dispose of these correctly. Safety was their main concern. EOD have done what they do best."