Hi °C | Lo °C Police on the Isle of Wight off England’s south coast believe they may have found a weapons dump linked to the Troubles.
Detectives from the PSNI’s Serious Crime Branch are currently assisting South East Counter Terrorism Unit following the discovery of two firearms, a quantity of ammunition, and what are believed to be two improvised incendiary devices on the island.
They were uncovered by a man walking his dog in Parkhurst Forest near Newport on August 24.
The Forestry Commission-managed woodland is used for recreation and is a haven for wildlife.
It is the second largest forest on the island.
“It is understood from initial examinations that these items have been there for several years,” a PSNI spokesman said.
“It will be an essential part of our investigation to ascertain exactly how long the items have been there.”
One line of inquiry is that these items are linked to terrorism in Northern Ireland.
A spokeswoman for the South East Counter Terrorism Unit added: “It is possible that the items are linked to historic Northern Ireland-related terrorism and for this reason the South East Counter Terrorism Unit is now leading the investigation with support from officers of the Police Service of Northern Ireland's Serious Crime Branch.
“Police would like to stress that there is no indication that the find relates to any current criminal activity.”
