The Nazi bomb from the Second World War discovered near Tower Bridge in London has been detonated, over seven decades after being dropped on the city.

Tower Bridge area of London, sealed off by police after the discovery of an unexploded WW2 bomb

Tower Bridge area of London, sealed off  after the discovery of an unexploded WW2 bomb on Monday Image by spacedust2019 / CC BY 2.0

The explosive was uncovered by builders on a site in Bermondsey last Monday which led to the closure of of the Tower Bridge as well as the evacuation of 1,200 homes. The London Independent reported that army bomb personnel inspected the 5ft long SA-type device to ensure the 250kg bomb was safe to take to a Ministry of Defence facility in Kent.

It had been left buried in the ground all those years and was stumbled on, at the site of the former Southwark Irish Pensioners Centre. A protective ‘igloo’ was built by the Army’s Royal Logistic Corps to protect the device in case of accidental detonation. The exclusion zone was reduced to 200 metres  as the local residents were given the green light to return to their homes.

The bomb was transported to Kent where a controlled explosion was carried out early yesterday near the River Thames at Cliffe. The Metropolitan Police said the device had been placed on a military vehicle at around 6pm last Tuesday and was accompanied by military personnel to Kent.