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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| Villages to empty after bomb find | Villages to empty after bomb find |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| More than 1,000 people living in two villages in North Yorkshire are to be asked to leave their homes to allow a World War II bomb to be detonated. | |
| The 500lb (227kg) device was found in a field near Ebberston on Sunday by enthusiasts who are excavating a plane which crashed in the area in the 1940s. | The 500lb (227kg) device was found in a field near Ebberston on Sunday by enthusiasts who are excavating a plane which crashed in the area in the 1940s. |
| Ebberston and nearby Allerston will be evacuated in the afternoon for the bomb to be made safe in a controlled blast. | |
| Police said the primary objective was to ensure the safety of villagers. | Police said the primary objective was to ensure the safety of villagers. |
| The villagers of North Yorkshire are stoic people. They're taking everything in their stride Ivan Ash, resident | |
| An RAF team will be responsible for carrying out the controlled explosion at 1500 BST, police said. | An RAF team will be responsible for carrying out the controlled explosion at 1500 BST, police said. |
| A 300m cordon currently placed around the field where the bomb was found will be extended to more than a kilometre when the detonation takes place. | |
| The nearby A170 will also be closed for a short period. | The nearby A170 will also be closed for a short period. |
| Leaflets about the evacuation were delivered to Ebberston and Allerton residents on Monday night and buses are being put on to transport people to the village hall at nearby Snainton. | |
| Animals grazing on fields in the affected area are also being moved. | |
| Ivan Ash, 64, who lives in Ebberston said: "It's been known for years that this plane crashed - we think it's a Whitley, 1941. | |
| 'Ensure safety' | |
| "The more elderly residents in the village have known about the plane crash for years, and all have their own little tales. | |
| "The surprise, of course, is when somebody's digging round the field and puts a great big bomb in the bucket of a digger. | |
| "The villagers of North Yorkshire are stoic people. They're taking everything in their stride." | |
| Acting Assistant Chief Constable Steve Read said the main objective was to "ensure the safety of people, their animals and their property". | Acting Assistant Chief Constable Steve Read said the main objective was to "ensure the safety of people, their animals and their property". |
| He added: "We rely upon the co-operation of members of the public to assist us to complete this unforeseen but essential operation safely and speedily. | He added: "We rely upon the co-operation of members of the public to assist us to complete this unforeseen but essential operation safely and speedily. |
| "Disruption to the everyday life of the area will be kept to a minimum." | "Disruption to the everyday life of the area will be kept to a minimum." |