Resident claims Faygate retirement complex is built on unexploded wartime bombs

Last month, a bomb squad was called to Durrants Village, a retirement complex in Faygate Lane, after workers at the site dug up a ‘suspicious’ object, Sussex Police said.

The bomb disposal unit detonated the device, which was not live.

Land near Faygate Railway Station was used as a small RAF base in the Second World War.

Village resident Simon Lanaway said: “I am really concerned. That site was used in the Second World War for all the aeroplanes that were shot down, so there is going to be unexploded material on that site.

“Where there is one or two or three there is going to be a lot more. There are going to be bullets floating around.”

Simon added he aired his concerns to an employee of Durrants Village.

He said: “I made it very clear to the man representing the company that unexploded devices were going to be found there and this is obviously the case. I am very surprised no one took the time to listen to what I had to say.

“The people working there would have been advised to be aware of unexploded material - maybe they should reassess what they are doing.”

During the war, the area was used to dismantle and salvage parts from downed aircraft that crashed in the south east.

A Sussex Police spokesperson said a rusty object, four to five inches in diameter, was dug up on Thursday March 19, and the bomb disposal unit was called.

A Durrants Village spokesperson said an engineer working at the site discovered the device, which was detonated.

Iwan Jones, managing director of Renaissance Villages, said: “Understandably, it did cause some excitement. A couple of residents observed as the events unfolded, although most were not even aware that anything had happened.

“There was never any immediate danger to any of our residents, staff or members of the public.”

Resident Rosemary Smith added: “To suggest we were unsafe is nonsense, in fact the whole thing has been blown out of all proportion.”