A controlled explosion has been carried out on a WW2 bomb which was dislodged from the seabed in Portsmouth Harbour.

The 500lb explosive was found during routine dredging work for the next generation of Royal Navy aircraft carriers.

Its discovery prompted the closure of the port, as well as the evacuation of shops and residential areas at Gunwharf Quays.

The bomb was towed to an area east of the Isle of Wight, where a controlled explosion was carried out by the Royal Navy's Fleet Diving Squadron.

Image: The device was dislodged from the seabed

An area of restricted air space was established while the bomb was destroyed.


The discovery came after another 1,100lb German bomb was found at the end of September during dredging work, which led to the evacuation of Gunwharf Quays. A torpedo was also found earlier in September.

Commander Del McKnight, the diving squadron's chief, said the incident was "business as usual" for the Royal Navy.

WW2 bomb detonated by Royal Navy

He said: "We've had more callouts to Portsmouth than we would usually see because of the extent of the dredging works being done to make way for HMS Queen Elizabeth.

"But we have teams on standby at 10 minutes notice around the UK ready to deal with these things."

Vice Admiral Jonathan Woodcock said the bomb disposal team which dealt with the device was "cool as a cucumber".

After the explosive was discovered the Wight Link terminal, Old Portsmouth, Portsmouth Harbour station and Gosport ferry station were placed behind a 300m safety cordon.

Image: A bomb disposal team tow the device (not pictured) out to sea

Staff at the naval base were moved outside the cordon while attractions in the port city were also closed to visitors, including Portsmouth Historic Dockyard.

Around 200 people were stranded in a ferry off the harbour as a Commodore Clipper was held away from the area.

A Royal Navy spokesperson said: "The device was found by a dredging barge carrying out work in the harbour before the arrival of HMS Queen Elizabeth - the Navy's new 65,000-tonne aircraft carrier - into the naval base next spring."