SOME of the dumped ammunition found at a Southampton building site is feared to contain harmful chemicals, The Daily Echo can reveal.

An estimated 45 suspect bombs were covertly removed from the site this week by Army bomb disposal experts and have been taken to specialists near Salisbury to be tested.

The total number of bombs, grenades, shells and mortars uncovered at the site reached a staggering 1,600 and weighed eight tonnes, it was confirmed yesterday.

Three days of disruption began on Wednesday when a construction worker from Orchard Homes, which is developing the site, found the first bomb.

Residents living near the site, in Regent's Park Road, Shirley, were rocked by disruption when police asked them to stay inside, shut windows and draw curtains.

A six-man bomb disposal team worked under floodlights late into the night on Thursday to make the site safe.

During the excavation police cordons restricted movement around Regent's Park Road, Stanton Road, Waterhouse Way, Waterhouse Lane, Landsdowne Road, Beechfield Court, Tillbrook Road and Falkland Road.

Bomb disposal experts, assisted by Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service, police and city council workers, managed to remove the suspect bombs and transport them safely to laboratories.

Eight tonnes of safe munitions were taken in skips to be disposed of at a Southampton scrap firm.

The site is believed to have been a dumping ground used by the Home Guard in 1944 to dispose of munitions from the First and Second World Wars, which they thought wrongly would rust away.

Staff Sergeant Justin Bell from the Army bomb disposal unit said he was satisfied that the excavation had been a success.

"We did find more munitions that we have taken away because they could contain chemicals.

"They have been sent away to be tested and results will be with us in a couple of weeks.

"The nature of the site suggested that the munitions were likely to be empty or filled with an inert substance. Those munitions taken away to be tested are such a tiny percentage of what we found and we didn't want the public to panic."

Rory McKeown, 18, who lives opposite the site was shocked at the latest revelations.

"I'm very surprised at the amount they have found and even more so at the possibility some of them could contain chemicals.

"I'm just glad it's all over."

Southampton historian and World War expert Jake Simpkin of Shirley said he was staggered at the amount of munitions found.

Commenting on the possible chemical bombs he added: "In the Second World War the sorts of chemicals in use were things like Magnesium that burns really well.

"There was no mustard gas in the Second World War but it was used in the First World War, along with chlorine gas."