More than 1,000 homes have been evacuated and schools have been closed in Plymouth after a suspected World War Two device was discovered at a building site.
A 400-metre cordon has been put in place in the Southway area of the city and residents in have been told to stay with friends or family, or go to an evacuation centre set up at Southway Youth and Community Centre.
Emergency services responded to the incident on Wednesday evening and extended the cordon from 200- metres to 400 to ensure the safety of residents while specialist teams assessed the area.
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Royal Navy unexploded ordnance (UXO) specialists have worked through the night to asses the device and to determine the safest way to make it secure.
“It is important to note that the UXO specialists will not be able to make the device safe until they are reassured that the area has been evacuated. Whilst we appreciate that it is inconvenient, we do ask that people support this evacuation, for the safety of themselves and others,” Plymouth City Council has said.
Several primary schools have also been temporarily closed, including Oakwood Primary School and Little Acorns Pre‑School which are located within the 400‑metre safety cordon. Although Beechwood Primary School is not currently within the 400‑metre cordon, it sits close to the affected area and has also been closed to avoid potential disruption during the school day should the cordon need to be expanded.
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