People evacuated from their homes after guns and ammunition were found in an empty Twickenham house believe the woman who lived there used to work for MI5.

Grimwood Road was evacuated on Tuesday, February 17, at about 11am after police discovered "a number of firearms" and "a quantity of ammunition" the previous day.

They put a cordon in place while the weapons were removed for forensic analysis.

Eileen Burgoyne lived at the property for more than 20 years before her death in 2014.

Her neighbour Richard Markell believed she was a former spy, and that the guns may have been kept in the house as a form of protection during her retirement.

He said: "She [Ms Burgoyne] told my wife she was in MI5. I think it was quite well known that she was a spy. I imagine the guns would be connected with her, although she had a lodger who was there for a few years.

"My feeling is that she might have felt under some sort of threat because of her job. Everybody in the road knew she worked for MI5."

One resident, who did not wish to be named, said: "She was a successful single lady, and I am told she was either a diplomat or in MI5. She was quite reclusive and bed-bound towards the end of her life".

Another of Ms Burgoyne’s neighbours said: "I think she possibly was in the secret service during the war and there could have been some stuff left sitting in the loft."

A Home Office spokesman said it could not confirm or deny any information about its employees for security purposes.

It is understood Ms Burgoyne left the house to a theatre group upon her death, and the property was subsequently sold to developers Pentagon Homes. The whereabouts of her lodger are not known.

Ruth Arnold, who was among those who left their houses, said: "It was all very scary. They just knocked on the door and said we had to get out of the house.

"My husband is in a wheelchair so we had to get him in it and out of the house straight away."

A Metropolitan Police spokesman confirmed they were called to the house at noon on February 16, by some builders who were renovating the house, and recovered the firearms and ammunition.

No arrests have been made and police said there was nothing to indicate the incident was terrorist related.

  • Did you know Eileen Burgoyne? Contact the newsdesk on george.odling@london.newsquest.co.uk or call 020 8722 6326.