5,000 residents are told to evacuate their homes and school is closed after two unexploded WW2 bombs are discovered across Devon
- Have you been evacuated? Email tom.lawrence@dailymail.co.uk
Thousands of residents have been told to leave their homes, schools and workplaces following the discovery of two unexploded World War Bombs. Mass evacuations continue in Devon today.
Life came to a standstill in Exmouth and Plymouth, with 5,000 residents evacuated from their homes.
A 400-metre cordon has been set up around the explosive device in Exmouth after a ‘massive’ device was pulled from the water at the town’s marina yesterday.
Meanwhile, a major incident was declared in Plymouth yesterday morning after a 50kg German World War II bomb was found at a construction site.
A separate 100-metre cordon has been set up in the Millbay area of the city and those living nearby are ‘strongly advised to leave their homes’.
Bomb squads rushed to both areas, while police went door-to-door ordering locals to leave their homes immediately.
An unexploded Second World War bomb was found at a construction site in Plymouth
A police cordon has been established after a bomb was found at a construction site in Plymouth.
Police set up a cordon in Plymouth after a Second World War bomb was found at a construction site
A 400-metre cordon has been put in place around Exmouth Marina after a device was found during a routine sweep
A local school in Exmouth distributed PE kits and packed lunches to families who were unable to get home last night
Royal Navy bomb experts descended on Exmouth last night after the device was discovered during a routine sweep.
The closure and evacuation of schools and workplaces was declared a major incident by the police.
Locals were told to relocate to stay with their families or gather at a nearby leisure center
Councilor Paul Arnott, Leader of East Devon District Council, said: ‘Our teams are working closely with military experts to ensure the device is secured as quickly as possible and we will provide updates as soon as they become available.
‘We understand this is an inconvenient situation for local residents and we thank everyone for their patience and cooperation.’
A bomb was found on a construction site in Plymouth at around 11.40 yesterday.
Residents living nearby were ‘strongly advised’ to leave their homes and the public was asked to avoid the Millbay area.
Bomb disposal experts had to pause their work overnight because it was too dark to work safely.
Millbay Academy, which has more than 500 students, was evacuated Wednesday and remains closed today.
The bomb was identified today as a German SC50 bomb used by the Luftwaffe during World War II.
‘No WWII bomb will stop us,’ one business defiantly said after a major incident was declared in the city
Residents were evacuated and the public was asked to stay away from the Millbay area.
The Royal Navy bomb squad was called to Plymouth after an ordnance was found in the Millbay area
Coastal towns and cities in Devon were a main target for German aircraft during the war due to the important ports and infrastructure in the county.
It is thought that more than 2,000 bombs were dropped on Plymouth, and about 10 percent of them failed to explode.
In February 2024, a man found an unexploded World War II bomb in his yard after hitting it with a shovel.
Ian Jary, 57, was digging in the back garden of his daughter’s home when he uncovered a 500kg bomb while laying the foundations for the rear extension.
The submarine drilling expert said he even shot the oar without knowing what the potentially deadly bomb was.
The device was then lowered into the sea and detonated following the largest evacuation since World War II.
