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Portsmouth evacuations prompted by WW2 bomb find | Portsmouth evacuations prompted by WW2 bomb find |
(about 1 hour later) | |
Homes and a shopping centre were evacuated and ferry services halted from Portsmouth Harbour after a World War Two bomb was found in the water. | |
Trains between Portsmouth and Southsea and Portsmouth Harbour were also suspended. | |
The bomb, found by a dredger in the harbour at about 05:00 GMT, was towed out to sea and blown up at 16:00. | |
Cross-channel ferries to and from Portsmouth were suspended when a 500m exclusion zone was set up. | |
The cordon was lifted by 14:30, but ferry services were still being delayed. | |
The harbour was shut to ferry traffic at 14:00 as the 500lb (227kg) German bomb was towed past the harbour entrance. | |
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) said it carried out a controlled explosion on the bomb one-and-a-half miles east of the Isle of Wight. | |
Ahead of the operation, police evacuated both the shopping and residential areas of Gunwharf Quays. The site was reopened at 14:20. | Ahead of the operation, police evacuated both the shopping and residential areas of Gunwharf Quays. The site was reopened at 14:20. |
Passengers were also asked to leave the Wightlink terminal, Old Portsmouth, Portsmouth Harbour station, Gosport ferry station and the Hot Walls areas. | Passengers were also asked to leave the Wightlink terminal, Old Portsmouth, Portsmouth Harbour station, Gosport ferry station and the Hot Walls areas. |
Wightlink said its service had resumed but delays of about two hours were expected and passengers would be able to board on a first-come first-served basis. | Wightlink said its service had resumed but delays of about two hours were expected and passengers would be able to board on a first-come first-served basis. |
Portsmouth Historic Dockyard was also closed. | |
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. |
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." | |
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. | 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. | 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: | You can also contact us in the following ways: |
Or use the form below | Or use the form below |