Hundreds evacuated as unexploded WWII bomb unearthed

[dutchman]

Hundreds of people were evacuated from their homes and businesses after construction workers dug up a World War Two bomb in Coventry.



Police cordoned off several streets around Coventry University Technology Park, including Puma Way and Paradise Street, at 3.20pm after the device was unearthed on a building site.

The discovery was made by the operator of a mechanical digger working on a new student accommodation development between Coventry University’s Paradise Place student halls and nearby offices.

Students enjoying Freshers’ Week had to be evacuated from their rooms along with workers at nearby organisations, including the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce.

A mechanical digger unearthed the unexploded World War Two bomb, thought to have been dropped by the German luftwaffe during an air raid on a munitions factory which once stood at the site.

Army explosives experts were seen using a specialist robot to make the bomb safe and planned to transfer it to a remote location where it could be detonated in a controlled environment.

The bomb experts decided to move the bomb before detonating it due to the built-up nature of the area.

It is understood West Midlands Police sent a helicopter to scout areas nearby where the bomb could be safely disposed off and, at the time of writing, it was thought the most likely location would be a Warwickshire quarry.

Road closures were in place on London Road and Mile Lane during the early stages of the discovery, causing major rush-hour problems on surrounding routes.

Speaking immediately after the discovery, a spokesman for Coventry Police said: “We have a cordon in Paradise Street in Cheylesmore this afternoon after what’s believed to be a World War II bomb was found on a construction site.

“Our officers are at the scene and some buildings immediately surrounding the site are being evacuated.

“Experts from the army will be attending the site in due course to assess the device.”

Coventry University released a statement which said it had plans in place to deal with the situation.

It read: “We are aware of the discovery of an unexploded Second World War bomb on Paradise Street.

“A number of our students who live in nearby halls have been evacuated to safety. We are providing any necessary assistance to those affected.

“The situation is being handled by the police and we are monitoring developments closely.

“The University has rehearsed procedures in place for instances such as these to ensure the safety of our students and staff.”

[dutchman]

Huge World War Two bomb found in Cheylesmore finally made safe



Army bomb disposal experts have made safe an unexploded World War Two bomb found on a building site in Coventry.

The huge one-tonne device demanded round-the-clock attention from the EOD Regiment - the army’s specialist bomb disposal unit - who were forced to spend more than 24-hours trying to make the bomb safe.

A controlled explosion was carried out on the device at 10pm to make it safe.

It is the biggest Second World War bomb discovered in the city in years, underlining why original plans to move the bomb to a safer location for a controlled detonation were abandoned.

The army had originally considered moving the bomb to a nearby quarry where they could perform a controlled explosion.

Instead, lorries were used to move tonnes of sand to cover the bomb site between Paradise Street and Puma Way, and army engineers were drafted in to assist the explosives experts with making the area safe.

A controlled explosion was originally due to take place at 1.30pm yesterday, but that was later pushed back due to complications.

It was rumoured that detonations were due to take place at 6pm and 8pm but the bomb was eventually dealt with at 10pm.

Construction workers unearthed the German bomb at Coventry University Technology Park on Monday afternoon and hundreds of people were evacuated from nearby buildings.

The 1,000kg bomb was the second biggest ever dropped by the Luftwaffe, and was designed to obliterate factories.

It was found on the site of the former London Road Social Club, an area previously home to munitions factories Rolls Royce and Armstrong Siddeley.

Those moved off site included around 130 students, many of whom are experiencing their first week at university.