Residents return home after Second World War bomb safely detonated
Published: 14:49, 24 July 2021
Updated: 21:32, 24 July 2021
Residents have been allowed to return to their homes and businesses have reopened after restrictions were put in place due to a Second World War bomb being uncovered.
Humberside Police said the live device was found on Thursday morning at a building site off Rawcliffe Road in Goole, East Yorkshire, and the area was cordoned off until it was detonated on Saturday afternoon.
A no-fly zone was enforced over the area, and people living nearby were told to stay indoors.
Humberside Police said the Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team confirmed the bomb was live at Beales Homes development site on Thursday evening.
A spokesperson had said: “As a precaution, and to allow the EOD team to complete their preparatory work before they safely dispose of the device, an area of extended cordon is being enforced.”
The force said just after 5.40pm on Saturday that the explosive had been disarmed and all restrictions including the closure of shops and roads were lifted.
“An unexploded WW2 bomb found on the outskirts of Goole has now been successfully and safely detonated,” they said.
“All restrictions are now lifted including all road closures. Thank you for your patience.”
John Sharpe, site manager at Beal Homes development, said the bomb was believed to have been dropped by a Lancaster bomber during a crash-landing.
He told the BBC: “They didn’t know what they’d dug up at first and a guy went down into the hole because we thought it was a metal pipe.
“As he uncovered it he realised it was a bomb and got out pretty quickly.”
Since the detonation, the east and west-bound carriageways of the M26 between junctions 35 and 37 have been reopened, along with a section of the A614.
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