96 Homes Evacuated After WW2 Bomb Found in Coventry

coventry residents near Sandy Lane Business Park were ordered out on Tuesday after construction workers found a World War Two bomb at the site. Ninety-six homes were evacuated as police set up a 100-metre cordon and prepared a controlled explosion for Wednesday afternoon.

Mary Creagh and Coventry East

Mary Creagh, the MP for Coventry East, thanked the council, emergency services and specialist teams for their response. She said, “85 years after the Blitz the legacy of World War Two is still disrupting daily life in Coventry.”

The bomb was found during construction work on Tuesday afternoon. Police said those nearby should expect a loud bang when the detonation happens, while the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Team withdrew from the construction site.

Sean O'Brien's evacuation

Sean O'Brien was working from home when police knocked on his door to tell him an unexploded bomb had been found on the neighbouring building site. He and his partner Jessica went for a drive and got something to eat, expecting to be back inside within a few hours.

O'Brien later said he stayed in the car nearby and received a phone call from a police officer in charge of the bomb disposal, who asked, “Have you got anywhere to stay tonight?” He and Jessica booked a hotel after she could not spend the night on the floor at the rest centre because of fibromyalgia and diabetes.

Sandy Lane plans

The bomb was found at Sandy Lane Business Park, a site that was once home to the Daimler factory during World War Two. The business park has been at the centre of regeneration plans for several years, including October 2024 documents that proposed up to 250 homes around the Daimler Powerhouse, with public spaces and walking and cycling routes.

Those plans were a scaled-back version of an earlier bid for 480 homes lodged in 2021 and later withdrawn. Coventry City Council said the site would include houses, apartments, employment space and leisure facilities.