Royal Navy tows away device found near Houses of Parliament for safe disposal

This article is more than 3 years old

This article is more than 3 years old

A suspected second world war bomb found in the river Thames near the Houses of Parliament has been towed away for safe disposal.



WWII bomb discovery closes Waterloo and Westminster bridges Read more

The operation by the Royal Navy and Metropolitan police to recover the unexploded device led to disruption in central London on Thursday.

Waterloo and Westminster bridges were shut for several hours, Westminster underground station was closed and river traffic was halted after the bomb was dredged up near Victoria Embankment.

The riverfront remained closed until about 3am on Friday.

A crowd of tourists and passersby gathered at the police tape as the device was removed, with some taking photographs.

A Port of London Authority spokesman told the BBC the object was about 2ft x 1ft.

Scotland Yard said specialist officers had assessed the device and alerted the Royal Navy after they were called to the Thames at 5.15pm on Thursday.

“The Royal Navy have now successfully removed the ordnance and will dispose of it,” a police spokesman said.