London City Airport remains closed due to WWII bomb

An unexploded World War Two bomb found in the River Thames has forced London City Airport to close and cancel all flights for the day.

Several householders were evacuated overnight and are staying in temporary accommodation while Royal Navy bomb disposal experts attempt to float the 1.5-metre long weapon before it can be removed.

The operation to remove the 500kg tapered-end shell bomb, which is lying in a bed of dense silt, is now expected to be completed by Monday evening, according to London City Airport.

The airport said it would remain closed for the rest of the day but should be open as normal on Tuesday.

A 214-metre cordon has been put in place by the Met Police, but Newham Council says it is still working with officers to evacuate some residents who have refused to leave the area.

The council says it is likely that all residents in the exclusion zone will need to be evacuated before the removal work starts.

In the meantime, airlines attempted to minimise disruption to the thousands of passengers affected.

CityJet said its flights had been rescheduled to take off from London Southend Airport.

British Airways said it was rebooking customers on to alternative flights or offering refunds to those who no longer wished to travel.

Among those affected were Tottenham Hotspur fans heading to Italy for a Champions League game against Juventus in Turin on Tuesday.

It comes after London City Airport said all flights in and out would be cancelled on Monday, and urged passengers not to travel to the airport and contact their airlines for further information.

According to its website, 131 flights were scheduled to depart the airport, with a further 130 arrivals.

Robert Sinclair, the airport’s chief executive, said if the removal of the device goes according to plan, the airport would reopen and flights would resume from 6.30am on Tuesday.

He apologised for the inconvenience to passengers, but said the police cordon was the “right and responsible” thing to do “for the safety of people’s lives”.

He added: “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.”

Motorists and rail passengers have also been affected, with part of the Docklands Light Railway suspended, while some roads remain closed.

Docklands Light Railway tweeted: “No service between Pontoon Dock and Woolwich Arsenal at Police request following the discovery of a WWII bomb in the London City Airport area. Good service on the rest of the line.”

Police were called to the scene at the George V Dock, North Woolwich, just after 5am on Sunday.

The ordnance was discovered as part of planned work that was taking place at the airport.

Earlier the Met Police said the operation to remove the device was expected to be completed by Tuesday morning.

The force said in a statement: “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.

“A number of road cordons are in place, and motorists planning to travel through this part of Newham borough are urged to seek alternative routes.

“The operation to remove the ordnance is ongoing.

“While we endeavour to progress the operation as quickly as possible and minimise disruption, it is important that all of the necessary steps and precautions are taken to ensure it is dealt with safely.”

(c) Sky News 2018: London City Airport remains closed due to WWII bomb