WW2 mine dredged up by fishing boat destroyed
Royal Navy divers carried out a controlled explosion
- Published
A magnetic mine from World War Two which was dredged up by a fishing boat has been blown up in a controlled explosion off the Kent coast.
The Royal Navy said members of its Portsmouth-based bomb disposal team were called to Herne Bay on Thursday morning, after a vessel dredged up a mine.
A Royal Navy spokesman said: “Divers placed an explosive charge on the ordnance and safely carried out a demolition.”
Officials said the ordnance was a German GD Magnetic influence mine.
Magnetic mines lay on the bottom of the sea until triggered by the metal hull of a ship that passed above.
A spokesman for the Maritime and Coastguard Agency said the alarm was raised by those on board the fishing vessel at about 07:40 BST.
Coastguard teams assisted with a cordon for public safety and Kent Police were also alerted.
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