Public reminded of dangers of ignoring range safety advice
Visitors to Longmoor Ranges are being reminded of the risks of accessing out of bounds areas after four youths ignored warning signs and entered a live firing zone.
Despite red flags and warning signs instructing the public to stay away from the danger areas, the four youngsters rode a quad bike into the middle of the range.
On noticing the youths the Range Conducting Officer stopped the firing immediately and wardens escorted the teenagers to the safety of the control office.
While in this instance nobody was injured, the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO), which runs the range, is reminding the public of the potential perils of ignoring flags and safety advice.
Lt Col Mark Ludlow, DIO Service Delivery Training’s Senior Training Safety Officer for the South East Region, said:
"The MOD takes safety of the public extremely seriously.
"We have devoted a considerable amount of resources towards enhancing safety on the Longmoor ranges and training areas including the installation of a new perimeter fence around the danger area. However we rely on the public using the ranges to heed safety warning signs and not to attempt to access unauthorised areas."
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Further information:
Press enquiries to Tony Moran, Communications Manager 0121 311 3879 or email tony.moran572@mod.uk
DIO website: www.gov.uk/dio
Notes to Editors
1) The Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) plays a vital role in supporting our Armed Forces by building, maintaining and servicing what the men and women who serve our country need to live, work, train and deploy on operations.
2) DIO is part of the Ministry of Defence (MOD). It is responsible for managing and maintaining land and properties, as well as providing related support services, to meet the current and future needs of the MOD and personnel at home and abroad, and to support current operations.
3) Our work includes supporting operational units by providing and improving single living and service family accommodation; training areas and historic military sites. DIO actively manages these to ensure the needs of Defence are met, value for money is achieved, and its heritage is protected, and to achieve its environmental goals.
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