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| WW2 bomb prompts evacuations in Portsmouth | |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Homes and a shopping and leisure centre in Portsmouth have been evacuated after a World War Two German bomb was found. | Homes and a shopping and leisure centre in Portsmouth have been evacuated after a World War Two German bomb was found. |
| Trains between Portsmouth and Southsea and Portsmouth Harbour are suspended, and ferry services have been affected. | Trains between Portsmouth and Southsea and Portsmouth Harbour are suspended, and ferry services have been affected. |
| The device, discovered by a dredging barge on the seabed in Portsmouth Harbour at about 05:00 GMT, is being towed to a detonation site. | |
| Cross-channel ferries to and from Portsmouth were suspended earlier when a 500m exclusion zone was set up. | Cross-channel ferries to and from Portsmouth were suspended earlier when a 500m exclusion zone was set up. |
| Follow live updates on the unexploded WW2 bomb | |
| The Ministry of Defence (MoD) and police said the operation to tow the device out of the harbour began at 14:00. | |
| The MoD said the harbour would be closed to ferry traffic for up to an hour as the device passed the harbour entrance. | |
| The controlled explosion, 1.5 miles east of the Isle of Wight would be carried out later, or on Thursday. | |
| Ahead of the operation, police evacuated both the shopping and residential areas of Gunwharf Quays. | |
| Passengers were asked to leave the Wight Link terminal, Old Portsmouth, Portsmouth Harbour station, Gosport ferry station and the Hot Walls areas. | Passengers were asked to leave the Wight Link terminal, Old Portsmouth, Portsmouth Harbour station, Gosport ferry station and the Hot Walls areas. |
| 'Priority is safety' | 'Priority is safety' |
| Hampshire Constabulary said those affected would be taken to Portsmouth Cathedral or one of two rest centres in John Pound Centre, in Queen Street. | Hampshire Constabulary said those affected would be taken to Portsmouth Cathedral or one of two rest centres in John Pound Centre, in Queen Street. |
| The force said: "We understand that this will cause disruption for some time, however our priority is the safety of everyone in the area." | |
| It is not yet known how long the evacuation, which took place at 12:00 GMT, will last. | It is not yet known how long the evacuation, which took place at 12:00 GMT, will last. |
| Portsmouth Historic Dockyard was also closed and will remain shut for the rest of the day. | Portsmouth Historic Dockyard was also closed and will remain shut for the rest of the day. |
| Earlier, a Royal Navy spokesman said the bomb had been "safely moved further into the harbour" which mean the port could temporarily reopen. | |
| Brittany Ferries earlier had three ships waiting to come into Portsmouth - one from Spain and two from France. | Brittany Ferries earlier had three ships waiting to come into Portsmouth - one from Spain and two from France. |
| Its Normandie ferry, which had arrived from Caen, had to be held for almost five hours. | Its Normandie ferry, which had arrived from Caen, had to be held for almost five hours. |
| It said 950 passengers had been on board the three ships. | It said 950 passengers had been on board the three ships. |
| David Minton, a Normandie passenger, said at the time: "It's getting rather boring, we've had to sit here just twiddling our thumbs, but there's nothing we can do." | David Minton, a Normandie passenger, said at the time: "It's getting rather boring, we've had to sit here just twiddling our thumbs, but there's nothing we can do." |
| Nigel Wonnacott, of Brittany Ferries, said: "We'd like to apologise to all our passengers, it's an unexpected and irritating delay which is outside our control - we just have to extend our apologies and ask our passengers to remain patient." | Nigel Wonnacott, of Brittany Ferries, said: "We'd like to apologise to all our passengers, it's an unexpected and irritating delay which is outside our control - we just have to extend our apologies and ask our passengers to remain patient." |
| Third device found | Third device found |
| Condor Ferries' Commodore Clipper, which serves the Channel Islands and had 94 passengers onboard, was also held outside the harbour for several hours. | Condor Ferries' Commodore Clipper, which serves the Channel Islands and had 94 passengers onboard, was also held outside the harbour for several hours. |
| The exclusion zone around the device meant some Naval base employees have had to be moved to other buildings at the dockyard. | The exclusion zone around the device meant some Naval base employees have had to be moved to other buildings at the dockyard. |
| It is the third device to be found in the harbour during dredging works, since September. | It is the third device to be found in the harbour during dredging works, since September. |
| Dredging work is being carried out in the harbour to to deepen and widen a four-mile (7km) channel to allow the the navy's new 65,000-tonne aircraft carriers to dock. | Dredging work is being carried out in the harbour to to deepen and widen a four-mile (7km) channel to allow the the navy's new 65,000-tonne aircraft carriers to dock. |
| HMS Queen Elizabeth is due to be handed over to the MoD in 2016 ahead of being put into service in 2020. | |
| Are you stuck on a ferry in the area? Tell us your story by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. | |
| You can also contact us in the following ways: | |
| Or use the form below |