A large piece of ordnance has been found near the sea front in Southsea
Witnesses told the BBC they believe it to be around 90kg (200lb)
Businesses were evacuated but not residential properties
Cordons were finally lifted around 21.00 GMT on Tuesday
Shortly after 21:00 police said the area had been made safe.
A police spokesperson said: "Our partners in the Explosive Ordnance Disposal team have now safely removed the ordnance from the area.
"The Southsea cordons have now been lifted."
Thanks for joining us for our coverage of the unexploded ordnance in Southsea. We're pausing coverage for the night now - click here for the latest on this story, or visit BBC Hampshire for other news in the area.
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary have just issued an update confirming they are still on the scene at Southsea seafront.
They have also confirmed the cordons are still in place, and are expected to remain throughout the evening.
They said they were working with the Explosive Ordnance Disposal team to dispose of the item safely and urged people to avoid the area.
The bomb was dug up by an excavator at around 09:30 GMT during work on the new section of Portsmouth's sea defences, a caller told the BBC.
Image source, MACC InternationalOrdnance disposal company MACC International has shared photos of the device on its Facebook page.
The company said the bomb was a SC1000kg Air Delivered Weapon.
Image source, MACC InternationalAccording to the eyewitness, the unexploded ordnance was found in the construction area and is between 4ft to 5ft (1.2m to 1.5m) long.
A reporter at the scene said police had set up road blocks around Southsea Common.
Police confirmed officers were working with a bomb disposal team to deal with the item safely.
Earlier today, a statement released by Hampshire Constabulary said: "We are urging members of the public to please avoid the area while this is carried out.
"We will issue an update once the cordons have been lifted."
Blue Reef Aquarium released a statement earlier saying it was closed as a result of the exclusion zone.
In a post on Facebook, the aquarium said it would remain closed until the area has been made safe.
"We are sorry for the inconvenience and remind all our visitors that your tickets are valid for the next six months," they added.
Hampshire Police previously confirmed the aquarium was one of several businesses that had been evacuated.
Steve Humphrey
BBC South Today
A series of roadblocks have been set up around Southsea Common and officers on foot are enforcing quite a large exclusion zone.
The discovery is on the stretch of coast between the Blue Reef Aquarium and the Hovertravel terminal.
A large area is cordoned off and is likely to remain so for some time.
The BBC has been told by an eyewitness, who did not wish to be named, that a 200lb (90kg) bomb was found by a digger during coastal defence works between Blue Reef Aquarium and Hovertravel.
A meeting is due to be held before 17.00 GMT between various agencies to discuss the latest on the operation to make the ordnance safe.
A spokesperson for Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary said Blue Reef Aquarium, the D-Day Museum, Clarence Pier and parts of Southsea Common have been evacuated and cordoned off.
They confirmed no residential properties have been evacuated.
Buildings have been evacuated and cordons put in place after a piece of unexploded ordnance was found.
MACC International Ltd said police and the Royal Navy were called after the discovery of the weapon
A piece of unexploded ordnance that led to buildings along a seafront being evacuated has been safely removed.
Cordons were put in place in the Pier Road area of in Southsea after police were called at 09:37 GMT.
A spokesperson for Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary said Blue Reef Aquarium, the D-Day Museum, Clarence Pier and parts of Southsea Common were evacuated and cordoned off during the operation.
A large police presence remained in Southsea after the discovery, but shortly after 21:00 police said the area had been made safe.
MACC International Ltd released a statement saying they identified a SC1,000kg Air Delivered Weapon
A spokesperson said: "Our partners in the Explosive Ordnance Disposal team have now safely removed the ordnance from the area.
"The Southsea cordons have now been lifted."
The BBC was told by an eyewitness that a bomb was found by a digger during coastal defence works between Blue Reef Aquarium and Hovertravel.
MACC International Ltd, a company specialising in unexploded ordnance risk, has since released images of the weapon on social media. , external
The company said the ordnance had been found while staff were providing support to the coastal sea defence works and it had been identified as a SC1,000kg air delivered weapon.
A police cordon was put in place as a safety precaution
Road closures were put in place in October for the defence works, which will last until 2026, and there is a temporary footpath through the common.
According to the eyewitness, the unexploded ordnance was found in the construction area and is between 4ft to 5ft (1.2m to 1.5m) long.
Police set up road blocks around Southsea Common, and urged members of the public to avoid the area during the recovery.
No residential properties were evacuated.
The MoD is yet to comment on the discovery.
An eyewitness said the unexploded ordnance was found in the coastal defence works construction area
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