Teignmouth evacuated over WW2 bomb find

Parts of a Devon seaside town were evacuated after a World War Two bomb was found in the sea near the pier.

The explosive was discovered by a man and his nephew who were scuba diving in Teignmouth earlier.

Police evacuated seafront properties to allow a bomb disposal team to tow it out to sea and destroy it in a controlled explosion.

Royal Navy divers from Devonport carried out a controlled explosion at sea on the 1,200kg (2,600lb) device.

More on this story and others from Devon

Student James Cunningham, 19, who found the bomb with his uncle James Brown, said the pair had been looking for sea life.

Diver James Cunningham posed for a photograph with the bomb found off Teignmouth pier

"We go reasonably regularly and at first we thought it was a container.

"After taking a closer look I could see the pointy end buried in the silt and saw it was made of metal which made us realise what it was."

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Police evacuated seafront properties and a cordon was in place until the bomb was detonated

After hastily snapping some pictures to give to the police they left, he said.

"I thought we'd better get out of there pretty sharpish; it was a bit scary".

Mr Cunningham has been diving for about six years and said the biggest thing he had previously found underwater was a grouper fish, in the Caribbean.

"But this was way more dangerous than any fish," he said.