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London City Airport will be closed all day Monday after the discovery of an unexploded World War II bomb nearby.

A cordon was put up late on Sunday evening after the 1940s ordnance was found in the George V Dock during building works.

Transport for London said Docklands Light Railway services will not run between Pontoon Dock and Woolwich Arsenal owing to the 214-metre (700ft) exclusion zone.

All flights in and out of London City Airport have been cancelled on Monday after the discovery of the Second World War ordnance.

The device is stuck in a bed of dense silt making it harder to remove although experts expect operations will be complete by Tuesday morning.

More than 100 departures have been cancelled with up to 16,000 people expected to be impacted by the closures.

Several people took to Twitter last night to say that they had been asked to leave their homes while the situation was dealt with by specialist teams.

(Image: London News Pictures Ltd) (Image: London News Pictures Ltd) (Image: London News Pictures Ltd)

Newham Council confirmed this morning that the bomb had been identified as a German 500kg 1.5 metre fused device.

The authority said it has opened its Borough Emergency Control Centre and is assisting in the controlled evacuation of people in the exclusion area.

Flights from 12 carriers that depart from the airport are expected to be impacted all day, while CityJet flights to Dublin have been moved to London Southend Airport, an airport spokesperson confirmed today.

All travellers are advised to contact their carrier for further information on rescheduled flights.

A Scotland Yard spokesperson said this afternoon: " Police continue to work with Royal Navy partners to safely remove a World War II ordnance discovered in the River Thames at George V Dock, E16, in the early hours of Sunday, 11 February.



"The device has been examined by Met Police and Royal Navy dive teams and is confirmed as being a 500kg tapered end shell measuring approximately 1.5m.

(Image: PA) (Image: London News Pictures Ltd) (Image: PA)

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"It is lying in a bed of dense silt and the first stage of the removal operation is to free the shell from the silt so that it can be floated for removal.



"The operation to remove the ordnance is ongoing in partnership with our colleagues in the Royal Navy.



"The timing of removal is dependant on the tides, however, at this stage we estimate that the removal of the device from location will be completed by tomorrow morning.



"While every effort is being made to progress the operation as quickly as possible, it is important that all of the necessary steps and precautions are taken to ensure it is dealt with safely.



"We would like to thank everyone affected for their patience and cooperation.



"Every effort is being made to minimise disruption and officers continue to go door to door to ensure that those living within the exclusion zone are aware of the safety arrangements in place." do if we have pix of bomb

In a statement today, airport CEO Robert Sinclair this morning: "I urge any passengers due to fly today not to come to the airport and to contact their airline for further information.

(Image: SWNS.com) (Image: Getty)

"All flights in and out of London City on Monday are cancelled and an exclusion zone is in place in the immediate area.

"I recognise this is causing inconvenience for our passengers, and in particular some of our local residents.

"The airport is cooperating fully with the Met Police and Royal Navy and working hard to safely remove the device and resolve the situation as quickly as possible."

The discovery was made as survey work took place as part of the airport's £480million expansion pogramme.

(Image: SWNS.com) (Image: PA) (Image: Rex)

The evacuation has led to closures on the Docklands Light Railway with Transport for London urging commuters to seek alternative routes.

There is no service between Pontoon Dock and Woolwich Arsenal with replacement buses running between Woolwich Arsenal and North Greenwich and Canning Town and King George V.

Anyone who been due to fly from the airport on Monday is advised to check with their travel agent.

A spokesperson for Newham Council said: “We are playing a full and active part in the response to deal with the World War Two device found in King George V Dock at North Woolwich.



“Council operations have been co-ordinated from the Borough Emergency Control Centre at Newham Dockside and officers have been at the scene supporting the Metropolitan Police in the evacuation of families.



“Officers are assisting with a controlled evacuation of people in this exclusion area, a rest centre has been opened where bedding and refreshments are available for families who have been unable to stay with family or friends. ”​

London City Airport is the 14th busiest in the UK with 4,540,000 passengers in 2017, according to data from the Civil Aviation Authority.