The Guardia Civil handles around 1,000 Civil War munitions each year but it is thought that many more are taken away by collectors or souvenir hunters, most of whom probably do not realise the dangers involved with such a practice.
Despite their age, the munitions generally retain their explosive material. It is the safety mechanism, however, which tends to deteriorate and it means that these munitions could explode at any time. A man was recently seriously injured in San Martín de la Vega, Madrid, after handling an old artillery shell.
It is not only Civil War explosives that the Guardia Civil find and safely dispose of, many other bombs, rain rockets, signalling flares, grenades and other items are discovered. So far this year, the Guardia Civil has handled 11,535 dangerous objects including 315 mortar rounds and 240 artillery shells.
Unexploded Civil War munitions are often found where the wartime battlefields were fairly stable, such as around Madrid and Ebro.