WWII Bomb In School Playground Is Made Safe

An unexploded World War Two bomb which was discovered in a school playground in Bath has been made safe.

Police said the 500lb shell was deactivated by bomb disposal experts and it will later be destroyed outside the city.

The device will be transported under police escort to a safe place for a controlled explosion to be carried out.

A 250-tonne sand blast barrier had been built around the device by the military before it was deactivated and a 300m cordon will remain in place while it is taken away.

Experts hope to move the bomb from its current site later in the day

The exclusion zone was set up following the discovery at the Royal High School, known locally as Hope House, on Lansdown Road at 4.40pm on Thursday,

Contractors digging at the site found the bomb beneath the surface of the playground, which had been used until two years ago.

An Explosive Ordnance Disposal team went to the scene and residents from 1,100 nearby properties were advised to leave immediately.

They were evacuated to Bath Racecourse and the city's Guildhall and Pavilion, but some chose to remain in their homes.

Three primary schools were closed, along with a doctor's surgery, and drivers were asked to consider if it was "absolutely necessary" for them to travel into the city.

Chief Superintendent Ian Smith, area commander for Bath, said: "First and foremost, I would like to thank each and every resident who has been affected by this incident and numerous businesses in the local area.

"Thank you for your patience, co-operation and support throughout the last 24 hours.

"We have worked as quickly and diligently as possible to limit the disruption caused but, as you can expect with an incident of this nature, public safety has to be our primary concern.

As soon as the cordon is removed and all roads are clear, we will update all the local residents so they can return home." 

Dulcie Carey, who was forced to spend the night at a friend's house, said the news of the bomb discovery came as a "massive shock".

She finished work at 11pm on Thursday and only found out by word-of-mouth that she could not get home.

She told Sky News: "It is just a nightmare. We can't do anything really. We're stuck."