Council extends Plymouth Bomb cordon for 1,200 homes

More than 1,200 homes in Plymouth were evacuated after military specialists said a plymouth bomb found in Southway could not be safely moved. The 250kg German SC250 World War Two device is due to be detonated where it lies on Friday.

Plymouth City Council extended the original 200m cordon to 400m on Wednesday after advice from bomb disposal experts. The wider zone covers about 1,300ft, and Southway Youth and Community Centre in Hendwell Close was set up as the evacuation centre for residents.

Southway evacuation centre

Council staff were available at the centre to provide information, while Sally Haydon, the cabinet member for community safety, urged residents to “take note” and vacate their homes. Devon and Cornwall Police said there were no plans to extend the cordon further, though the council said it could not guarantee plans would not change.

Army and Royal Navy assessment

A council spokesman said: “Royal Navy and Army unexploded ordnance specialists have now completed a rigorous and detailed assessment of the device” and “They have advised that it is not possible to safely remove it.” The spokesman added: “The only safe option is to make the device safe in situ, which will involve a controlled detonation.”

Specialists were building a sand mitigation structure designed to contain the blast and reduce the impact on nearby homes and streets. The council said it was supporting the Royal Navy by supplying large quantities of sand, and specialist X-ray equipment had arrived on site.

Friday detonation plan

The council said the planned detonation would take place on Friday once all safety measures were fully in place. The Army was to place sand in containers around the bomb to try to protect nearby buildings from the detonation, leaving the evacuation zone in place until specialists finish their preparations.