Nearly 400 railway detonators found in the River Nene in Northampton by magnet fisherman

Northamptonshire Police were called to West Cotton Close, Far Cotton, after 4pm on Sunday (April 13) after a member of the public – who was cleaning the river out with a magnetic fishing rod – reported that they had found some railway detonators while clearing the canal behind the Carlsberg site in Northampton.

A road closure was put in place to stop pedestrians and traffic driving close to the site until the Explosive Ordnance Disposal team (EOD) arrived. The EOD collected up to 379 rail detonators and safely removed them from the site, according to police. The road closure was lifted at about 7.35pm.

Railway detonators, also called fog signals or torpedoes, are small explosive devices used on railways to warn train drivers of hazards or obstructions ahead. They are placed on the rails and explode when a train wheel passes over them, producing a loud bang to alert the driver. Railway detonators have been used for over 180 years to protect lines during accidents and incidents.