FORT Le Marchant was a flashpoint for mortars and letter bombs yesterday. Explosions echoed around the Napoleonic lookout as the police bomb squad set off a series of controlled detonations.
The ordnance disposal team, which is training at the fort all this week, has also been learning to deal with potential terrorist situations in the island.
‘The core area we deal with is explosive ordinance,’ said PC Jim Speldman.
‘But it makes sense to train for these types of instances as well. It gives the public another sense of security.’
One of the scenarios involved a fisherman threatening to report a colleague over illegal fishing. The latter had set up a booby-trapped bomb, which the squad had to deal with.
‘We usually have a two-man team carrying out the operation.
‘Another member is the terrorist and the fourth acts as an observer - telling us what we’re doing right and what we’re doing wrong.’
‘Guernsey is the only police force to have a fully operational bomb squad. The Met and Jersey only have individual officers trained to deal with these situations.’
The team uses a range of high-tech gadgets, including a 25kg Kevlar armoured bombproof suit, a portable X-ray machine and camera, advanced imaging software and various ordinance-disabling equipment.
PC Speldman, 44, who is also a police diver, joined the Guernsey force from his home town of Liverpool six years ago. Two years later, he joined the bomb squad.
‘You don’t have this type of opportunity in the UK.
‘There’s a lot more lateral movement in the force here.’
Training involves ongoing in-house sessions as well as a three-week intensive course with the army in the UK. This is followed by another three-week course on conventional munitions. All training adheres to regulations set by Nato.
The Guernsey force provides cover for Jersey as well.
Article posted on 26th April, 2007 - 12.00am
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