Bomb squad called in to Plymouth school for controlled explosion

A controlled explosion has taken place at a school in Plymouth this morning to dispose of a potentially dangerous chemical.

Bomb disposal experts from the Royal Navy carried out the explosion at St Boniface's Catholic College. They were called in to dispose of stocks of a chemical called 2,4 dinitrophenyl hydrazine just before 08:30 this morning.

Schools across the UK have been carrying out similar explosions after a warning that if not stored properly the substance can cause serious harm.

Posting on Facebook, the school said it checked for stocks of the chemical after receiving updated advice - and informed the police of their discovery.