PARTS OF East London came to a dramatic standstill in February following the discovery and eventual removal of a 500kg Second World War German bomb, writes Alex Bowers.
Large parts of the borough of Newham were placed inside a 214-metre exclusion zone after the device was found at the King George V Dock on 11 February, prompting the closure of London City Airport, the fifth busiest airport in the London area. As many as 16,000 passengers were affected by cancellations, a spokesperson for London City Airport said.
Dozens of residents from Holt Road, Leonard Street, Lord Street, Newland Street, Tate Road, Muir Street, and Kennard Street were also evacuated and units from the Metropolitan Police and a Royal Navy Explosive Ordnance team were called in to evaluate and monitor the scene. The device was subsequently examined by divers and confirmed as being a 500kg Luftwaffe bomb measuring approximately 1.5 metres in length.
