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"No decision taken on closure of Goswick Sands" - Defence Minister

November 17, 2009 11:30 AM
Bomb disposal at Goswick Sands

The RAF's EOD team work hard to keep Goswick Sands safe for the public.

The Secretary of State has written to Sir Alan Beith MP confirming no decision has been taken over the future of the ordnance clearance team at Goswick Sands.

Sir Alan had raised concerns after hearing that a review of the facility was being carried out as part of the Ministry of Defence's investigation into clearance of former ranges. Goswick Sands was used as an RAF bombing range during the Second World War and for the past 14 years a systematic clearance of the site has been underway.

Sir Alan said

"The strong tides around Holy Island mean the sands at Goswick are constantly shifting and items of debris regularly come to the surface, making clearance an ongoing task with the team on hand to identify metal objects found in the sands.

"Without the on-site team, we could have a situation in which the Bomb Disposal team from Catterick are spending a great deal of time travelling up and down the A1, often to find they are being called out unnecessarily.

"I am pleased that no decision has been reached and I will be taking a close interest in the Ministry of Defence's risk assessment which they have scheduled for early in 2010."

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