More than 1,200 nearby homes were evacuated
Watch the dramatic moment a Second World War explosive device was destroyed in a controlled blast in Plymouth today.
The 250kg Nazi SC250 bomb was detonated shortly after 11am, sending a plume of black smoke and metal fragments into the air above Southway.
Workmen uncovered the wartime ordnance at a construction site near Flamborough Road on Wednesday.
Authorities immediately established a 400-metre exclusion zone, forcing more than 1,200 households to leave their properties while specialists assessed the situation.
Army and Royal Navy bomb disposal teams spent Thursday examining the device but were unable to obtain a clear X-ray image of its second fuse.
This meant the ordnance could not be safely transported, unlike similar discoveries in Millbay earlier this year and Keyham in 2024, which were moved to Plymouth Sound for detonation at sea.
Officials announced at Crownhill Police Station an on-site controlled explosion was the only safe option.
Following the successful detonation and subsequent structural assessments, displaced residents have now been permitted to return to their properties.
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