BOMB disposal experts have swooped on the caravan of a gun-obsessed weirdo at the centre of a body-in-the garden mystery.
Kenneth Ward, 72, was jailed for five years for harassing his woman neighbour and possessing an arsenal of illegal weapons.
After his release in 2015 he moved to a rundown caravan – but was back in the headlines earlier this month when cops discovered human remains in the garden at his old house.
He told The Sun he knew nothing about the body and said: “It’s come as quite a shock has this.”
But in a dramatic twist cops and Army bomb disposal experts have spent the weekend trawling over every inch of his caravan.
Members of the 521 Explosive Ordnance Disposal Squadron from Catterick Garrison have spent three days inspecting Ward’s home.
BOMB SQUAD
A neighbour said: “The police turned up at 9am on Friday.
“They seemed to be searching for something and then a little later people in army uniform turned up in a green truck.
"The only reason I can think of that bomb disposal officers would be called out was because of his military memorabilia.
"He’s got the cockpit of an old English Lightning aircraft in his caravan.
"Whatever he has in there has caused a big reaction to have the police and the army called."
Whatever he has in there has caused a big reaction to have the police and the army called
Another neighbour added: “He had a gas inspection on Wednesday which might be what started all this. The police arrived early on Friday.
“His caravan was absolutely stacked with stuff, he must have been barely able to move in there.
“Whatever it is it has caused a lot of concern – you don’t expect to see the bomb squad turn up outside your home.
“I’ve been watching them bagging individual items and bringing them out to be taken away and examined.
“They also brought in a robot which was manoeuvred to the door of the caravan at one stage, presumably because they’d found something that looked potentially dangerous.”
The bomb squad used a hand-held explosives detector and a remote-controlled Cutlass bomb disposal robot to check the caravan.
Ward was not at home during the operation which was still ongoing yesterday.
He was jailed in 2011 for tormenting neighbour Mandy Dunford for nearly a decade.
He flashed at her on a daily basis, standing half-naked on sentry duty or following her around wearing nothing but boots and socks.
On one occasion he confronted her in a lane, pointed a rifle at her and she heard five shots as she fled.
When he was arrested, police found a haul of illegal weapons at his home including a loaded Luger pistol, grenades, mortars and ammunition. Bomb disposal experts spent two days making it all safe in a series of controlled explosions.
WEIRDO JAILED
He was jailed at Teesside crown court after admitting 11 counts of exposure, three charges of possessing a prohibited firearm and seven other firearms offences.
His family had lived at remote Appletree Cottage, in the tiny village of Chop Gate on the edge of the North York Moors national park, since the 1600s.
When he was released from prison in 2015 he tried to move back there.
Mandy, 59, complained to her local MP, Chancellor Rishi Sunak, who intervened on her behalf to prevent him moving back in.
Instead he went to live at the caravan park near York where he told The Sun earlier this month: “All that is behind me now. I just want to enjoy what life I’ve got left.
”As for those bones, I can’t work this one out. It’s come as quite a shock. The only thing that I know is buried up there is the family pets.”
MOST READ IN NEWS
STORM TRAGEDY 
Boy, 9, becomes 2nd victim killed by storm as woman dies in Scotland
Boy, 17, & man, 21, stabbed to death after vicious brawl outside pub
I 'leaked' Gray report as I couldn't be there for dying pal, says Joe Lycett
Six times Andy cozied up to women on nights out as he claims he 'didn't party'
North Yorkshire Police have been doing tests to try and identify the remains and establish a cause of death.
They have not released the findings of the tests.
The police and the Ministry of Defence declined to comment about the operation at the weekend.
Source: Read Full Article
