'We thought our house had been blown up' - Exeter vicar's panic as bomb found yards from family home
A vicar from Exeter who lives just yards from where a World War Two bomb was found has described how the incident has affected his family's life.
Reverend Ashley Leighton Plom was forced to leave his home when the device was uncovered, and the blast caused severe damage which will take months to repair.
The family's home was evacuated, along with many others, to a local hotel while the bomb was detonated by military experts.
They are back home now temporarily, but will soon move out again to allow the building to be properly repaired.
The Reverend said: "When the bomb went off we didn't expect to have a house, we thought it would have been flattened.
"So there was a worry, dread before we were allowed back up to inspect the damage. And finally that sense of relief when we saw that the house was still standing."
Buildings left with blown-out windows after WW2 bomb detonated in Exeter
'It's a wreck' - Exeter families allowed home to assess WW2 bomb damage
The Reverend says the help and good wishes of his friends and parishioners has kept him going, and he hopes everybody affected will eventually be able to rebuild their lives.
"We've had so much support from the Church of England and the Diocese of Exeter, and we've been really mindful of people who don't have that support around them," he said.
"One of the absolute golden moments in the midst of all the trauma was praying with fellow evacuees outside the hotel, socially distanced, or even over the phone, supporting one another."
Read more: