German WWII Bomb in Southway: Plymouth has had a big evacuation after workers found an old World War 2 bomb at a building site on Flamborough Road, Southway. Police said officers were called at 2.30pm on Wednesday after a suspected ordnance was reported. By Thursday morning, more than 1,000 homes had been cleared and a 400m cordon was still in place while experts kept working on the device.
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What was Found?
Royal Navy bomb disposal specialists worked through the night to study the bomb and keep it safe. The council said it had already been identified as a German SC250, which is a 250kg air-dropped weapon. More than 400 tonnes of sand were brought in to help steady it, and special enhanced X-ray equipment arrived so the experts could check it more carefully. Police and partner teams also went door to door to tell residents what was happening and to ask them to leave for their own safety.
The council also gave a clear warning: “UXO experts can only make the device safe once the area is fully evacuated – we know this is disruptive and thank residents for their cooperation.” Later, it added: “We are aware that a small number of residents who have evacuated are asking if they can return to their homes to collect essential items such as medication.
“Unfortunately, the clear advice from the Royal Navy is that no one should re-enter the cordon at this time.”
Support System
People who had to leave were told to stay with friends or family if they could. If not, they were asked to go to Southway Youth and Community Centre, which stayed open through the night.
The council said the centre had already helped more than 50 residents and around 25 households had been placed in temporary accommodation, reported Sky News. Pets were allowed too. Schools inside the cordon stayed shut, bus services were affected, and the council said it still did not know how long the evacuation would last.
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Officials also said residents should take medication, chargers, important papers, baby items and pet supplies with them. They were told to turn off their water supply and open windows if possible before leaving. The council said it would keep updating people through its website. This is not the first time Plymouth has faced this kind of scare. Two years ago, a 500kg German WWII bomb was found in a garden in Keyham and hundreds of people had to leave before it was taken out to sea and detonated safely.
