ARMY bomb disposal experts working to clear Pendle Hill of potentially lethal explosives said today nearly 200 devices had been found in just over two years.

Yesterday they detonated five more on Pendle in controlled explosions.

A team from the 33 Engineer Regiment (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) Royal Engineers, has been working at Pendle Hill since June 1998 to clear thousands of devices left from training exercises during the Second World War.

Major Les Rutherford estimated that more than 4,500 three inch and two inch mortar bombs were fired onto Pendle, before the days of designated training areas, as troops prepared to battle Hitler's war machine,

Many devices still remain in the hills. and many are live and dangerous.

"The East Lancashire Regiment would have used the area for target practice shooting the devices into the hills," said Major Rutherford.

"At that time troops were preparing to fight for their lives and at the height of training for D Day invasion approximately five million acres of the country was used for training purposes.

"There were troops from America, the free French, free Poles and they all had to find somewhere for practice."

The first clearing of the area took place just after the war when a "visual sweep" of Pendle Hill removed some of the devices and for the past 30 years bomb squads have visited the site on clearing missions.

Since 1998 Major Rutherford's team, working closely with local authorities and the police, has been dedicated to Pendle Hill and expects to stay until the operation in is complete hopefully by May 2001.

Using magnetometers -- very similar to a metal detector -- the team painstakingly and methodically combs the hills for the bombs. Working at designated areas the men cordon off a 50 metre patch known as a box.

Within the box, Major Rutherford's men slowly trawl one-metre lanes looking for munition.

When they discover a bomb, the disposal officers then carefully dig the device out before carrying out a controlled explosion disintegrating the device.

Since 1998, 191 devices have been recovered, including 114 live mortars, all potentially lethal.

Despite the apparent dangers Major Rutherford said Pendle Hill was as "safe as anywhere" to walk.

In 50 years only one person has died as a result of the bombs when a man believed to be in his 20s discovered and disturbed one of the devices. Two friends were also injured in the blast.

"Pendle Hill is as safe as anywhere in the country to walk," said Major Rutherford.

"We are dedicated to improving public safety. Public support is required to assist with this task and ensure that no further explosives incidents occur."