Summary

  • An unexploded WW2 bomb that was found in a garden in Plymouth has been safely transferred to the sea, Devon and Cornwall Police say

  • The device was moved by military convoy from the Keyham area of the city to the Torpoint Ferry slipway, from where it has been taken to sea for detonation

  • A 300m cordon set up around the disposal route has been lifted and thousands of people who were evacuated have been told they can return to their homes

  • More than 10,300 people and some 4,300 properties fell within the area that was cordoned off by police

  • The Ministry of Defence has described it as one of the largest UK peacetime evacuations since WW2

  • Police were called on Tuesday to the discovery of the bomb in a garden in St Michael Avenue

  • The area was heavily bombed during the war in an attempt to damage nearby naval facilities

Live Reporting

Edited by Kate Marshall and Chris Ellis

  1. Bomb is now in the water

    Alex Green
    BBC News

    The bomb has now been put into the water, and road closures in the city are being lifted, Plymouth Highways has confirmed.

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  2. Bomb removed and cordon to be lifted

    George Thorpe
    BBC South West

    A tweet from Plymouth City Council said the cordon is being lifted.

    "We have been notified by the military that [the] operation has been a success and the bomb has been removed.

    "We can now start removing the cordon so people who have been evacuated can return to their homes.

    "Roads will be busy."

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  3. People asking when they can go home

    John Henderson
    BBC Spotlight

    BBC reporter John Henderson said: "Still a crowd of people here and about four or five police vehicles.

    "The cordon is still in effect.

    "A number of people are saying to me 'when can we go back to our homes?'

    "The honest answer to that is I don't know, but at the moment, no-one is going anywhere and we're all pretty much stationary.

    "But yes, the bomb has been seen and as I understand it, is on its way."

  4. People see bomb moving through streets: 'Is that it?'

    John Henderson
    BBC Spotlight

    I'm looking down at the Devonport dockyard and at about 16:55 GMT, a crowd of between 25 and 30 people were chatting as we saw this green military truck came round the corner on Keyham Road.

    We all fell quite silent.

    An open-backed truck with what looked like dumpy bags in the back, maybe about eight or 10 or even 12, making its way very, very slowly, gingerly, not walking pace, but slowly, came round the corner and then it turned right to proceed along towards the ferry slipway.

    Someone next to me said 'is that it?' because we have been waiting here since about 14:00 when this kind of cordon was put in place... and that was basically it.

  5. 'Have a cup of tea, you'll be home soon'

    Charlotte Cox
    BBC South West

    Resident Ray Baker, whose home is on the next street to where the bomb was found, said police officers were watching live drone footage of the device being moved.

    He said: "The officer said it was on the move, in transit, they could see it.

    "He said 'go and have a cup of tea, you'll be home soon'."

    Mr Baker spent the first night in his home despite warnings to leave. He has since been allocated a hotel room.

    He has spent the day at a relative's home just outside the cordon, he added.

  6. Photo shows vehicle carrying bomb

    Alex Green
    BBC News

    Bomb disposal experts are transporting the bomb through Plymouth's streets after removing it from a garden in Keyham, PA reports.

    Bomb disposal experts remove a ordnance on the back of a vehicle near to the scene at St Michael Avenue, Plymouth, where residents have been evacuated and a cordon put in place following the discovery of the suspected Second World War explosive device.Matt Keeble/PA Wire

  7. People sat in cars outside cordon

    Angela Kalwaites
    BBC Radio Devon

    BBC reporter Angela Kalwaites, who is at the cordon's edge, said: "There are six cars with people slightly confused I think, they were hoping perhaps to go back to their homes but they might not have realised the cordon's lifting time has changed, it's not going to be 17:00 GMT, which is what it originally was.

    "So there's just a few cars of people waiting, I guess, to try and get home."

  8. People gathering at waterfront to watch

    Alex Green
    BBC News

    BBC reporter Andrea Ormsby is at Devil's Point in Plymouth, which overlooks Firestone Bay.

    She said small groups of people had gathered to see if they were able to watch the convoy arrive with the bomb.

    Onlookers join coastguard teams from across the south west who have been called in to help with the operation.

    People gathered at Devil's Point in Plymouth

  9. More than 10,000 people affected by cordon

    In a statement, Plymouth City Council says 10,320 people and 4,300 properties fall within today's cordon.

    This is a huge increase from the originally planned cordon, which included 3,250 people 1,219 properties.

  10. Lots of action at the cordon

    Angela Kalwaites
    BBC Radio Devon

    BBC reporter Angela Kalwaites said: "Now there are a lot of vehicles on the move.

    "What you can hear most is the fire engine that's reversing right next to me, but we've also got coastguards zooming up the road.

    "The unmarked cars that have been here all afternoon have also gone, they're leading the convoy by the looks of things."

  11. Head teacher describes evacuating 203 schoolchildren

    Charlotte Cox
    BBC South West

    Carina Francis

    A head teacher has described co-ordinating the closure of a school and the evacuation of 203 schoolchildren amid the operation to move an unexploded bomb through the city's streets.

    Carina Francis, head teacher at College Road Primary School, which is outside the cordon but just metres from the exclusion zone, said Plymouth City Council instructed them to evacuate as so many families were impacted by the incident.

    The council told the BBC a further four schools, and two pre-school centres within the new cordon had also been asked to evacuate.

    Ms Francis said parents were messaged in the morning and asked to collect their children between midday and 12:45 GMT.

    She added: "We decided not to tell the children they were going to be evacuated until just before their parents arrived, just to avoid any unnecessary worry."

  12. 'Bottle of white wine waiting at home'

    George Thorpe
    BBC South West

    Plymouth resident Matt Wake said he was "looking forward" to finally getting home after being evacuated from his home.

    He told BBC Radio Devon he was getting "more and more excited" about getting home.

    Mr Wake said: "I've got a bottle of white wine in the fridge that is crying out for a Friday night drink."

    He added: "It has definitely been a real worry this week, it has been at the forefront of your mind."

  13. People move to high ground to see convoy

    Brodie Owen
    BBC South West

    Police are reiterating their message that residents are unable to enter the cordon.

    They said one man ignored their advice until he eventually reconsidered.

    Some residents have moved to high ground at Blockhouse Park, in the Stoke area of the city, to see if they can spot the convoy.

    Police at a cordon in Plymouth

  14. Cordon set to be lifted 'at about 18:15'

    George Thorpe
    BBC South West

    Plymouth City Council says the convoy carrying the bomb is on the move and it expects the lifting of the cordon will happen at about 18:15 GMT.

    The council said: "Please do not start heading back to the area until we provide an update... that it is safe to do so.

    "Even when the bomb has been removed, it will take some time to remove the cordon and [we] would ask that people bear with us."

  15. Convoy transporting bomb is on the move, says police
    Breaking

    Alex Green
    BBC News

    The military convoy transporting the World War Two bomb is now on the move, Devon and Cornwall Police confirms.

  16. How will the bomb be disposed of safely?

    The BBC has been speaking with Lucy Lewis, the first female bomb disposal expert in the British Army, about how authorities will have planned today's operation.

    The reason the live bomb is being moved is because its fuse is old and corroded, so it's not possible to drill into the fuse to immunise it, says Ms Lewis.

    When transporting it, the biggest dangers will come from shock, heat or friction.

    "It will be going very slowly, very carefully, it will be sitting in a bed of sand probably to keep it as stable and to reduce any vibrations of the vehicle," says Ms Lewis.

    "They would need to stop the railway nearby because of the vibration from railways," she adds.

    Once by the sea, authorities will likely put the bomb on a boat that can be towed and fitted with explosives. Once the boat is taken to a safe area, the explosives will be detonated to dispose of the bomb, says Ms Lewis.

    Whether or not it's detonated above or below the water "will depend on what the seabed looks like," she adds. "You need to think of the depth of the water, you've got to think about marine life, there are lots of different computations."

  17. 'A sense of anticipation'

    Alex Green
    BBC News

    A police cordon in Plymouth

    BBC reporter Brodie Owen is outside of the cordon near Warleigh Avenue, in Keyham.

    He said: "There’s a sense of anticipation as we wait for news on the movement of the unexploded bomb.

    "Lots of cars have been coming in and out of the cordon.

    "Not too long ago this area was teeming with people as they hurriedly left their homes.

    "Now it’s just one or two residents who are coming up to the cordon to see if they can spot the bomb."

  18. Bomb removal will be 20-minute journey by road

    Janine Jansen
    BBC Spotlight

    BBC reporter Janine Jansen said the emergency services have been taking their time to make sure everyone in the area is safe before moving the bomb.

    She added: "Once that has happened, they can put the unexploded bomb on to a truck and safely move it down that route, which should take about 20 minutes.

    "Then it will be taken out to sea and detonated on the other side of the breakwater."

  19. 'Not knowing what's going on is excruciating'

    Brodie Owen
    BBC South West

    Speaking to BBC Radio Devon, resident El Clarke said: "It is inconvenient [the evacuation], but I'm glad that there is actually a sign of some sort of conclusion to the situation because sitting in suspense, not knowing what's going on is excruciating."

  20. 'Let's hope for the best'

    Brodie Owen
    BBC South West

    A convenience shop owner who borders the evacuation zone says the discovery of the bomb has had an impact on trade.

    Ronny Christian, who lives above his College Road shop in Keyham, said he was glad the device was being disposed of.

    “As you can see it’s very quiet in here,” he said.

    “It’s nothing like [a normal] Friday.”

    He said people had been very concerned in the area.

    “We are in a residential area with a school - the parents don’t know what to tell their kids.

    “Let’s hope for the best.”

    Ronny Christian