On Wednesday 11 September, something unexpected happened at the Limes. What appeared to be a World War II relic was discovered in one of our residents’ homes.
The alert came from a friend of a resident, who was looking after the home while the resident was receiving medical care. When they spotted the unusual item, they raised their concerns to Rosie, your Neighbourhood Coordinator, who acted quickly to keep everyone safe.
Rosie contacted Harry her Head of Service to notify them of the discovery, with a detailed description, and an evacuation was instructed. She spoke to her manager to arrange for more Neighbourhood Coordinators to attend and help with the evacuation. Rosie, Anjana, Megan, and Daisy knocked on all the residents' doors and organised for the residents to go to a local library while the police and other emergency services arrived.
Some residents were unable to walk to the library, so Sacha and Harry worked closely with Elmbridge Borough Council to arrange transport and open another local facility where residents could rest, stay warm and enjoy something to eat if their homes could not be accessed.
Police officers at the scene said the NCs handled the situation professionally – Keeping residents informed and reassured and answering any questions from the police and the residents. Due to the weather, they said that the residents could wait in their cars, so they were out of the rain until the buses arrived.
Later that day, the explosive disposal unit arrived, they confirmed it was a deactivated WW2 relic. Still, the Neighbourhood Coordinators stayed with the residents as they returned home, offering support and answering any questions.
Thank you to everyone involved
Huge thanks to Rosie, Anjana, Megan, Daisy, Sacha, Frank and Service 24, as well as our local partner Elmbridge Borough Council for their quick thinking, calm approach and dedication to keeping our residents safe.
If you have any safety concerns or spot something unusual in your home or building, please contact us at [email protected] or call 03001232221.
