Bath bomb: sleepless nights, sandbags & exclusion zones

As many as 1,000 homes were evacuated last night after a World War II bomb was discovered underneath a former school in Bath.

Police set up a 300-metre exclusion zone and many residents were forced to spend the night at makeshift shelters in the Pavilion and Bath Racecourse.

The 500lb bomb was discovered by contractors digging at the former school on Lansdown Road at around 4.30pm on Thursday.

Since then, the Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team have been on the scene with sandbags and steel girders to help build a protective barrier around the bomb before attempting to move it.

Some residents have chosen to remain inside the cordon, but no one is allowed within 100 metres of the bomb.

Those who have already left their homes will be unable to return until the device is removed.

Police say it could be another two days before people are allowed to return home:

Some residents described how they evacuated in the middle of the night after discovering the device was on their doorstep.

James Birch didn't realise the bomb was just a few metres from his house until 3am:

Three primary schools (St Andrew's, St Stephen's and Weston All Saints) near the exclusion zone have been closed as well as a doctors surgery.

Full list of road closures:

• Lansdown Road (North)

• St Stephen's Court

• Lansdown Grove

• Lansdown Road (South)

• St James's Park

• Lansdown Crescent

• Upper Lansdown Mews

• Richmond Road

• Mount Road

• St Stephen's Road

• Camden Crescent

• Junction of Upper and Lower Hedgemead Road

• Lansdown Road (South)

• Murford Street

• Balance Street

• Portland Place (Julian Road end)

• Harley Street

• Northampton Street

• St James's Sq (junction of Great Bedford Street)

• Park Street (cross roads)

• Upper Lansdown Mews (junction Dixon Gardens)