A man living on Marlborough Road, near Oxford city centre, recently experienced a distressing incident involving Thames Valley Police (TVP) when armed officers raided his property. This operation occurred on Monday afternoon in connection with an unrelated matter that involved the arrest of a woman and a boy on suspicion of blackmail.
The sequence of events began when police, while executing the raid, noticed a collection of Second World War memorabilia – specifically ornamental grenades – displayed in the man's neighbouring window. Following this observation, police arrested the man later that same afternoon.
According to the man, who has chosen to remain anonymous following the incident, he was initially detained under Section 5 of the 1968 Firearms Act. After spending several hours in custody, he was released without charge at approximately 5 pm. He expressed frustration over the handling of the situation, stating, “I said from the start, I can look inside them (the grenades),” adding that had the officers listened to him earlier, the matter could have been resolved more quickly.
The police spokesperson later confirmed that upon further investigation, the munitions in question were identified as ornamental hand grenades that were neither live nor illegal. Thus, the man was released with no further action taken against him. “The munitions on further investigation were found to be ornamental hand grenades which were not live and were not illegal,” the spokesperson stated.
Reflecting on his experience, the man noted, “They did not even know what they were charging me with when I was there.” He mentioned that by the time they were conducting his fingerprints, the police had already decided to release him. The collection, which he had gathered from antique shops in London over the years, is valued at several hundred pounds and includes various historic items such as a German Stielhandgranate stick grenade and a Soviet Union F1 Fragmentation grenade, as well as bullets for different historical firearms.
While the man’s mother has expressed her dissatisfaction with the way the incident unfolded and suggested that he file an official complaint against the police, he is primarily concerned about the retrieval of his collection. He stated, “Most of all I want my stuff back.” In addition to his munitions, the police took his keys when they accessed his property, which have yet to be returned. He mentioned receiving minimal information about reclaiming his belongings, aside from a crime number.
He acknowledged that although the police were “just doing their job,” he believes the situation could have been managed more effectively. The incident concluded with the custody sergeant apologising for the inconvenience caused and offering him a ride home in a police vehicle. Nearly a dozen officers, including armed personnel and a police K9 officer, participated in the operation on Marlborough Road.
Source: Noah Wire Services