UN helicopter - Western Sahara

It was quite a journey to get to the landmine clearance project being run by Action on Armed Violence (AOAV) in Western Sahara. The first leg involved taking a UN plane from Morocco to a UN base with an airstrip in the desert. From there, a helicopter covered the second leg to an even more remote UN base, with no airstrip. Then there only remained a bumpy drive across the desert for over an hour to get to AOAV's base.

Aboard a UN helicopter in Western Sahara

On the second leg of the journey to the landmine clearance programme being run by Action on Armed Violence in Western Sahara.

UN base inside Western Sahara

This base is so remote, there's no airstrip...or even a road in and out.

Minefield clearance team - Western Sahara

Action on Armed Violence recruited local Western Saharawis to join the minefield clearance teams. In case you wondered, the woman in the white coat is the base medic.

Landmine clearance team member - Western Sahara

The job is very safe...as long as the safety rules are followed at all times!

More explosive remnants of war

One of AOAV's London-based office staff (Ruth) gets to see what happens out on the ground.

Landmine clearance vehicle - Western Sahara

A lesson on how to operate the vehicle.

Selection of explosive remnants of war common to Western Sahara

Don't some of them look so innocuous - especially to children.

M42 Cluster Munition - Western Sahara

This is the M42 cluster munition. Despite the small size - about the same as a Christmas tree decoration - it can be deadly.

Local Polisario Brigade staff - Western Sahara

Hosting a visit by the local Polisario Brigade Commander and his staff to the AOAV landmine clearance camp.

Hilary Benn MP on Speaker's Green

The mine action community held an awareness day for MPs on Speaker's Green. Here, Hilary Benn MP tries his hand at detecting a hidden mine in a sandpit.

Iraq - 2004

Amongst a scattering of Iraqi military munitions of various conditions, in an unguarded and uncontrolled ammunition dump. These could easily be used as the payload for multiple IEDs.

Scattered, unguarded munitions - Iraq, 2004.

All ready to use in IEDs.

'The Long Walk'

During my army career, I qualified as a high-threat counter-IED operator. It was a good grounding for what was to follow later.

Early bomb disposal robot, 1972 (from '3-2-1 Bomb Gone')

In 1972, six British Army bomb disposal operators were killed by terrorist bombs. The race was on to find a way of defeating the devices remotely, where possible. This was one of the early attempts at designing a robot.

Operators depart at haste!

Lt Col Derrick Patrick and a Warrant Officer sprint from a building containing a bomb that's about to explode (1976). taken from Patrick's book, 'Fetch Felix'.