Royal Navy Minehunter Destroys WW2 Bomb Near North Sea Gas Pipe

A Royal Navy minehunter has destroyed a 500lb wartime bomb which was dredged up by a fishing boat and then dropped "dangerously close" to a major North Sea gas pipeline.

The German Second World War bomb became caught in the fishing nets of a Dutch trawler and was inadvertently hauled on the deck.

The fisherman then lowered it back down on to the sea bed for safety.

A navy spokesman said: 

"The trawlerman gently lowered the device back down to the seabed before reporting his discovery to authorities but the bomb landed dangerously close to a major North Sea gas pipe.

"On arrival, the Royal Navy divers lifted the device from the seabed, towed it for one mile, and then detonated it with an explosive charge.

"Fortunately due to its age, the bomb was discovered to be inert and no longer a threat."

Petty Officer (Diver) Lee O'Sullivan, from the Southern Diving Unit 2, added: "The proximity of the bomb to the gas pipeline clearly presented a significant risk but we were able to deal with the situation quickly.

"We safely removed the bomb from the pipeline area, and then carried out a controlled demolition. Fortunately the bomb turned out to be inert, meaning it wouldn't have posed a danger but there was no way of knowing this until we destroyed it."