Giant bomb found in Plymouth to be blown up at sea | UK | News

Thousands more people have been urged to leave their homes in Plymouth ahead of an unexploded Nazi World War Two bomb being blown up at sea. It was found in Keyham earlier this week, prompting mass evacuations by the Army who erected a 300m exclusion zone around the device.

Ordnance disposal experts have been on site all week after the 500kg bomb was discovered in a back garden at a property in St Michael Avenue – and now it has been confirmed that at 2pm today (Friday, February 23) it will be dragged out to sea so it can be detonated.

According to PlymouthLive, it will be transported through Royal Navy Avenue, Saltash Road, Albert Road, Park Avenue and Ferry Road – with roads along the way being blocked while the fragile device is carefully moved in an Army convoy.

The council said work over the last few days has included working out the best way to explode the bomb, labelling it a « very complex situation with a number of factors to be considered ».

Along with public safety concerns, it was thought to be likely that properties and underground utlities could be damaged if it was blown up on land.

The council said in a statement: « Following more information about the device and after considering all options, including a controlled detonation on site, partners have agreed that the safest and least impactful option is to remove the device from St Michael Avenue and travel to the Torpoint Ferry slipway – for the bomb to be disposed of at sea.

« Highly trained bomb disposal experts will carefully remove the device from the property and it will be transported by road in a military convoy, west along Parkside and Royal Navy Avenue, joining at the junction on Saltash Road to continue south joining Albert Road, turning right along Park Avenue and heading down Ferry Road to the Torpoint Ferry terminal. »

To spread news of today’s evacuation a « severe alert » has been sent to mobile phones of local residents who have been urged to stay away from the area until at least 5pm.

It said: « A time limited cordon will be in place along this route between 2pm until an estimated 5pm. You are asked to leave and stay away from the cordoned area for this time period. »

The Plymouth Life Centre which has been acting as a temporary shelter for locals who have been evacuated will remain open during this period.

In addition, the main local train line will be closed, ferries (including the Torpoint Ferry) will be suspended and buses will be diverted, PlymouthLive has confirmed.