Unexploded German Bomb Towed From Portsmouth Harbour
Shops were being evacuated and trains and ferries cancelled after a 500lb bomb was discovered during dredging work for the Royal Navy's new aircraft carriers.
Restrictions have now been lifted after the device was towed to a safe location to be detonated, with divers from the Royal Navy's Portsmouth-based Southern Diving Unit 2 on the scene.
Residents had been advised to stay in their homes following the discovery of the German Second World War bomb in Portsmouth Harbour.
Several pieces of unexploded ordnance have been found since work started to deepen the harbour to enable the next generation of carriers to access the Navy base. A Navy spokesman said:
"The German SC250 bomb was found in the early hours of this morning in the excavator head of a barge dredging the harbour - part of a raft of infrastructure upgrades taking place in readiness for the arrival of the Royal Navy's new 65,000-tonne aircraft carrier."
Lieutenant Mike St Pierre, the officer leading the bomb disposal team, said:
"As always, the Royal Navy stands ready to respond to these call-outs and keep people safe. Despite being old, these devices can pose a very serious threat."
The SC250 bomb weighed 500lb and contained 290lb of high explosives.
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