Evacuation under way after unexploded WW2 bomb found in Cornwall

An evacuation of more than 300 homes is under way after an unexploded Second World War bomb was found near Falmouth Docks in Cornwall.

Police have set up a 755-metre cordon and a bomb disposal team is assessing the device.

It was discovered about 40 metres off Pendennis Headland on Monday morning and is thought to weigh about 250kg.

The Royal Navy said mine clearance divers from Bravo Squadron were working on an unexploded "American air-dropped bomb".

People in the evacuation zone were told to leave their homes by 9am.

Police and council staff have been going house to house, but officers said they couldn't force people to go.

Superintendent Vicky Howell, from Devon and Cornwall Police, said the cordon had been extended overnight.

She urged people to avoid the area and follow emergency services' instructions.

Those who can't leave due to medical or other reasons have been asked to let police know.

Superintendent Ian Thompson said the bomb would be moved by experts later on Wednesday, but it's currently unclear how long the evacuation will last.

Cornwall Council said a total of 339 homes were in the evacuation zone and All Saints Church on Killigrew Street was open if people needed a place to go.

Trains between Falmouth Town and Falmouth Docks have been suspended while the operation takes place.

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Another wartime bomb was found not far away on a Plymouth building site in April, forcing the evacuation of more than 1,000 homes.

That came two years after another evacuation due to a 500kg German bomb. The city - home to the Devonport naval base - was one of the most-bombed locations in the Second World War.

It's believed around 10% of bombs dropped on the UK did not explode and such discoveries are not uncommon.

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