More than 1,000 homes have been evacuated and schools have been closed in Plymouth after a suspected Second World War device was discovered on a building site.
A 400-metre cordon has been put in place in the Southway area of the city and residents have been told to stay with friends or family, or go to a nearby evacuation centre which has been set up.
Police were called to Flamborough Road at about 2.30pm on Wednesday, and military bomb disposal experts later extended the cordon from 200 metres to 400 metres on Wednesday evening to ensure the safety of residents while specialist teams assessed the area.
Royal Navy unexploded ordnance (UXO) specialists worked through the night to assess the device and to determine the safest way to make the 250kg air-dropped weapon secure.
“It is important to note that the UXO specialists will not be able to make the device safe until they are reassured that the area has been evacuated. Whilst we appreciate that it is inconvenient, we do ask that people support this evacuation, for the safety of themselves and others,” Plymouth City Council said.
“Specialist enhanced X‑ray equipment has now arrived on site, allowing Royal Navy UXO experts to continue their detailed assessment of the device,” Plymouth City Council said.
“Plymouth City Council is supporting this work by providing more than 400 tonnes of sand, which is being used by specialists to build a mitigation structure to help stabilise and secure the device while assessment continues,” it added.
Several primary schools have also been temporarily closed, including Oakwood Primary School and Little Acorns Pre‑School, which are located within the 400‑metre safety cordon.
Although Beechwood Primary School is not currently within the cordon, it sits close to the affected area and has also been closed to avoid potential disruption during the school day should the cordon need to be expanded.
Plymouth City Council has told residents to leave their windows open and to turn off the stop tap to isolate water to their property. The council warned that it is possible residents will lose their water supply while the operation is underway.
The council also told residents to pack enough clothes and essentials for the next two days and to remember to bring medications, power banks and important household documents.
Inspector Gareth Hammett, from Devon and Cornwall Police, said: “We would like to thank you for your cooperation. People in the affected communities have been brilliant – we would like them to continue to respect the cordons we have in place, as public safety is our priority and if possible, people should avoid travel to the area.
“We will seek to resolve this incident as quickly as possible. We do not underestimate the impact and the inconvenience the incident has caused, but we would like to reassure the public we are working quickly with our partners to try and bring this incident to a conclusion.”
An MOD spokesperson said: “Army and Navy EOD teams are supporting Devon and Cornwall Police with an ongoing incident in Plymouth involving the discovery of a historic unexploded 250kg air-dropped weapon.”
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