Police have cordoned off a building site in Plymouth after "suspected ordnance" was discovered earlier today.
Several roads have been closed and homes evacuated in the area of Southway, with Devon and Cornwall Police urging residents to stay away.
Plymouth City Council has established measures to support displaced residents at Southway Community Centre.
In an update around 9.30pm, police enlarged the cordon to a 400m radius.
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A spokesman for Devon and Cornwall Police said: "Police are in the area of Flamborough Road, Southway, in Plymouth, following a report that a suspected ordnance was located at a building site at 2.30pm this afternoon.
"A cordon is in place with associated road closures.
"The Royal Navy Explosives Ordnance Department will be attending to assess the item. We ask people to please avoid the area at this time. The incident is ongoing."
Patricia Lean, 69, told Plymouth Live she was being evacuated from her home, and may have to be away for "anything from one to five days".
Police are in the area of Flamborough Road, Southway, in Plymouth
|GOOGLE STREET VIEW
Authorities shared a map of the 'no-go' zone, covering the suburban areas of Flamborough Road, Clittaford Road, Inchkeith Road and Southway Drive.
Two schools in the vicinity will be closed tomorrow, including Oakwood Primary School and Beechwood Primary Academy.
The former is supporting the efforts of the operation, with Police personnel using the facilities of the school during the ongoing operation to disarm the suspected WW2 bomb.
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Speaking on the ongoing efforts to secure the area, Plymouth Council spokesman said: "We would like to reassure the community that this is a precautionary measure, and there is no immediate risk to the wider public.
"We are asking people to please avoid the area while this work continues.
"Residents who have been temporarily displaced as a result of the cordon can go to Southway youth centre, where council and Plymouth Community Homes staff are available to offer support, information and practical assistance.
"We are working closely with the police and partner agencies and will continue to provide updates as soon as further information is available."
Authorities shared a map of the 'no-go' zone as residents are evacuated
|PLYMOUTH CITY COUNCIL
Plymouth is no stranger to the discovery of dormant World War Two bombs, as the city was a primary target for the Luftwaffe, targeting HMN B Devonport - the largest naval base in Western Europe.
The city served as a critical hub for Allied shipping and repairs, making it a constant focus for enemy air raids.
Between 1940 and 1944, the city suffered 59 bombing raids.
In just one week in 1941, German planes dropped more than 6,000 high-explosive bombs and 200,000 incendiaries, creating a massive volume of potential unexploded ordnance.
Experts estimate that approximately 10 per cent of German munitions failed to detonate upon impact due to mechanical faults or soft landing surfaces.
Given the thousands of bombs dropped, there were likely hundreds of "dud" devices left buried beneath the city's streets.