Police and Crime Commissioner, Lisa Townsend, has visited the police station front counter in Epsom where a Surrey resident recently handed in an unexploded mortar shell.
On the morning of March 30, 2026, the unexploded ordnance was brought into Epsom Town Hall for disposal, prompting a mass evacuation and police safety cordon within a 100-metre radius.
Officers with the support of Surrey Fire and Rescue crews evacuated Epsom and Ewell council offices, nearby hotel, businesses and surrounding homes. The Explosive Ordnance Disposal team (EOD) was alerted and bomb disposal experts came to safely take the mortar shell to Epsom Downs for a controlled explosion.
The Commissioner’s visit was prompted by this year’s Surrey Day which is being celebrated today (Saturday May 9, 2026) with events and gatherings all over the county. The theme of this year’s Surrey Day is ‘what lies beneath’ or ‘underground Surrey’.
Lisa has used this opportunity to further explore Surrey Police’s history as she continues to mark the Force’s 175th anniversary throughout the year.
Lisa said: “Since the end of the Second World War, Surrey Police has been called to assess hundreds of unexploded ordnances.
“In Surrey alone, there were more than three thousand bombing incidents during World War II. Not all ammunition would have exploded, and so there are still ordnances that are undiscovered or remain obscured underground throughout the county.
“In 2025, EOD from Aldershot Troop responded to 86 call outs for the disposal of suspected ordnances in Surrey and Hampshire.
“The priority for Surrey Police is public safety. If you come across a potential suspicious looking ordnance, the advice is to not touch it and call 999 immediately.”