A 250lb American World War Two bomb has been moved out to sea after about 2,000 people from more than 300 homes in Falmouth were evacuated. The device was found in the water at Falmouth Docks at around 9.15am Monday morning and was towed away in the afternoon. The evacuation cordon has been lifted and residents are allowed to return home. Police said there will be a plan for its full disposal in the coming days, and it will be monitored until then.
Lt Cdr Ben Brown, commanding officer of the Royal Navy’s Bravo Squadron bomb disposal team, said the device is a "general purpose bomb". He said: "This is on the larger side of ordnance that we would deal with, but the Plymouth team in particular have dealt with a lot of these recently, certainly this year to date, but it's on the slightly larger side."
Trains have been cancelled due to the bomb being near railway lines. No replacement buses will be available due to the nature of the incident. The travel disruption is expected to continue until the end of today and could be extended beyond that.
Supt Ian Thompson, from Devon and Cornwall Police, said 339 properties are being evacuated but added: "We can't force people to leave".
Police said this afternoon that the unexploded ordnance has now been taken to deeper water in Falmouth Bay. An exclusion zone is in place while the emergency teams make a plan to fully dispose of it. It will be monitored until then.
Cornwall councillor Thalia Marrington said: "This is the news everyone wanted to hear. The device has been safely removed, the cordon has been lifted, and residents can now return to their homes. I want to thank the military specialists, emergency services, council teams, partner organisations and volunteers who have worked tirelessly to keep people safe and support those affected. I also want to thank residents and businesses for their patience, throughout what has been a worrying and disruptive time."
Cornwall Council has said in an update: "The unexploded World War Two ordnance has been safely removed from Falmouth Docks and the evacuation cordon has now been lifted. Residents are free to return to their properties. Please continue to follow any instructions from police and other personnel as the emergency response is stood down. Thank you to everyone affected for your cooperation and understanding, and to all the agencies and organisations involved in the response. Please note that the device will be disposed of in deep water and well out at sea, so there will be nothing to see or hear from the shore."
A dive team has been pictured moving the bomb this afternoon following the evacuation. All vessels had left the area by 4pm, and police are set to provide an update at 4.30pm.
Falmouth WW2 Bomb Moved to Sea After Mass Evacuation