A large part of central London's busy Soho area was evacuated after an unexploded Second World War bomb was found at a building site.

Police were called at 1.42pm on Monday to Dean Street, connecting Oxford Street to Shaftesbury Avenue, which they cordoned off after the device was discovered near the Soho Hotel.

Most of the areas around Dean Street were cordoned off after the discovery but that was later reduced to the road's junctions with Old Compton Street up to Carlisle Street.

Image: The bomb, bottom right, was found in a Soho building site

Image: Police cordoned off a large part of Soho

People in Dean Street's many cafes, restaurants, pubs and offices were evacuated.

Witnesses said there was "lots of commotion" in the area.


A Royal Engineers bomb disposal unit was called in and removed the half-tonne device.

The Metropolitan Police's Soho team said the cordons in Oxford Street, Charing Cross Road, Shaftesbury Avenue, Lexington Street and Poland Street had been lifted shortly after 8:30pm.

Radio host Judymay Murphy said she was "very ably" evacuated from private members club The Groucho Club.

"It's never this quiet," she tweeted.

Literary scout Charlie Mundy left her fifth floor office in Old Compton Street after being told of the evacuation by another office worker in the building.

Image: Police have been seen in the area of Soho where a bomb was found

She told Sky News: "When we got downstairs lots of local businesses had clearly been evacuated as the streets were heaving.

"Police were removing us all from Old Compton Street onto Charing Cross Road.

"All the streets surrounding me were cordoned off, with police and bomb disposal specialists all around. It was all very calm though."

Areas of Soho evacuated after WWII bomb found

Businesses in the area tweeted that they were closed until further notice.

Mayfair councillor Pancho Lewis asked anybody nearby to follow police advice and told those living in the cordoned off area to go to Marshall Street leisure centre where the council is assisting.

A Ministry of Defence spokeswoman said: "An Army explosive ordnance disposal team has been called out to Soho to support the Metropolitan Police after discovery of a 500kg Second World War device.

"The Army EOD team have confirmed the bomb was safe to remove overnight to a location where it will be detonated.

"Military personnel are regularly required to assist with the disposal of historic ordnance such as this, ensuring every situation is dealt with as quickly as possible for the safety of the general public."

