Unexploded bomb in Bath is made safe

A video has been released online showing behind the scenes footage of how the Bath bomb was disarmed seven days ago.

The video - put together by Bath & North East Somerset Council and the British Army - shows how the bomb was made safe, taken away and eventually blown up in a controlled explosion.

Hundreds of people were evacuated from the Lansdown Road area of the city last Thursday after the bomb was discovered in a former school playground.

A huge police cordon remains in place in Bath after an unexploded second world war bomb was discovered in the playground of a former school.

A 250-tonne sand barrier is currently being built around the bomb by army experts who plan to remove the device's fuse.

The bomb, which is almost a metre and a half long, will then be transported under a police escort to a safe place for a controlled explosion to be carried out.

It is expected the bomb will be removed late on Friday by soldiers from 721 EOD squadron of the Royal Logistics Corps.

Simon Cooke, who was a bomb disposal officer with the British Army's Royal Engineers for 20 years, said that if the 500lb bomb were to explode it would probably leave a 20m crater and produce "lethal shockwaves".

But in an attempt to reassure locals, Chief Superintendent Ian Smith, said experts hope to move the bomb from its current site tonight.

He said: "Currently the military are still on site. They are building a device around the site with 250 tonnes of sand.

"At some stage this evening they will move the device to somewhere safe so that it can be safely destroyed."

Police have released pictures of the Bath bomb, which show how it nearly reaches 1.5 metres.

A corden remains in place while a bomb disposal team prepare to transport the World War Two bomb away from the residential Lansdown area:

Three schools in Bath have been closed this morning following the discovery of a World War Two bomb on Lansdown road.

St Andrew's, St Stephen's and Weston All Saints which are located near the 300m exclusion zone will re-open on Monday.

Traffic has also been affected by the road closures, with major delays expected across the Lansdown area. Police say residents could have to wait another 48 hours before they return home.

Police say it could take up to 48 hours before residents in Bath are allowed home following the discovery of an unexploded World War II bomb. A 300-metre exclusion zone remains in place in the Lansdown area this morning as efforts to remove the device continue.

Hundreds of homes were evacuated after the bomb squad were called to the site of a former school on Lansdown Road at approximately 4.40pm yesterday after contractors unearthed a 500lb shell.

Hundreds of people have been evacuated in Bath after a World War 2 bomb has been found on an old school site. Police were called to the school on Lansdown Road shortly after 4pm after contractors unearthed the device.

A 300 exclusion zone is in place and it's believed that up to a thousand properties are in that area. People are being sent to the Bath Racecourse.