A GROUP of youths broke into a building on the former ROF site and found a dummy hand-grenade which they used to play ball.

The security breach is believed to have come to light after photographs taken at the site were discovered by concerned parents who alerted the police.

Now MP Lindsay Hoyle is calling for a full review of security at the plant which designs and makes trigger-like components for weapons for British and foreign armed forces.

He has written to Defence Minister Geoff Hoon, Home Secretary David Blunkett, the chief executive of RO Defence and the chairman of BAE Systems, which owns the factory, demanding to know how such a breach could happen.

Mr Hoyle said: "At the height of the risk of terrorist attacks in this country, why is RO Defence so vulnerable?

"CCTV cameras are missing, and the fence is very old.

"If youngsters have found it so easy to get in, then surely there needs to be an urgent inquiry."

The Citizen visited the site in Euxton Lane this week and it appeared to be protected by nothing more than an 8ft fence.

Staff at the factory, owned by BAE Systems, were alerted after security guards saw a smashed window.

RO Defence spokesperson Marilyn Swan said: "We have stepped up security following the breach and there is an ongoing review of all permanent fencing being carried out at the moment.

"We believe the place where they broke in was not covered by CCTV although we do have security guards patrolling the perimeter 24-hours-a-day.

"It is quite a small site now compared to what it was and we only make components, not finished weapons, although we are taking the incident seriously and doing everything we can to make sure it does not happen again."

Police have confirmed the incident took place. A spokesman said: "In the early hours of Monday August 2, offenders broke into the Royal Ordnance Factory.

"The offenders are known to have broken a small window and to have taken three items that were on open display on the windowsill.

"One of the items namely two rounds of 30mm aden machine gun rounds were recovered at the scene but a partial fuse assembly and a dummy grenade remained missing."

He said the items were for display purposes only and cannot be reactivated in any shape or form. The dummy grenade was later discovered in the grounds of the factory.

Mr Hoyle added: "This is a serious breach of security and if this can happen here in Chorley, how safe are all the rest of the BAE and RO establishments?

"We ought to see an immediate increase in security to reflect the troubled times we live in."