Giant WWII bomb dug up by builders

Giant WWII bomb dug up by builders in London
A massive evacuation procedure is carried out in Bermondsey, south London, after the 1,000lb explosive measuring 5ft long was uncovered
A 5ft-long World War Two bomb weighing 1,000lb that was uncovered by builders at a construction site on Monday could take a "very long time" to make safe, police said.
Explosive experts were scrambled to Grange Walk, in Bermondsey, Southwark, where the giant explosive was dug up.

A massive evacuation procedure has been carried out, with a large number of homes and business businesses evacuated inside a 400m-wide cordon.
Road closures in the area have also caused travel chaos along Tower Bridge Road.

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The Met is warning the disruption could last for a long time yet as experts attempt to safely dispose of the potentially volatile device.
A Met Police spokesman said: "The device is huge - it is a big fuss. Self-evidently from the nature of the operation, it is a big one, it is being dealt with but it could be problematic.

"We are on the case along with partner agencies but this could take a very long time. We will be issuing a further statement shortly."
A spokesman for London Fire Brigade, which has crews at the scene assisting bomb disposal units and the police, said the operation was likely to be a protracted one.

He said: "A large number of people have been evacuated from that area including homes and businesses as a precaution.

"We are assisting at the incident and it is likely to be a protracted one that could go on for some time.

"Whether that is due to the nature of the device or some other difficulty we're not sure. We are on the scene to ensure it is as safe as possible."
A Scotland Yard spokesman added: "At this early stage, the unexploded bomb is thought to be approximately 5ft long and 1000lbs in weight.

"A cordon and a wider exclusion zone of 400 meters has been put in place as a precaution, whilst we deal with the incident.

"We are working with colleagues from the London Fire Brigade, London Ambulance Service and Southwark Council who are also on scene.

"There a number of road closures and traffic diversions in the area.