This is the moment a World War II bomb discovered during construction work was detonated and removed in Coventry. The Second World War device was reported after being found at Sandy Lane Business Park at 2:55 PM on Tuesday, June 2. It prompted a major multi-agency response to protect the public, including soldiers from 8 Engineer Brigade conducting Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD).
Evacuation and Safety Measures
For public safety, 96 homes in the area were evacuated as a 100-metre cordon was established. A total of 15 households, including 37 residents and a dog, were moved into overnight accommodation while the incident was handled. Now that the bomb has been safely dealt with, West Midlands Fire Service has released drone footage capturing the controlled detonation on Wednesday evening, June 3. The cordons have since been lifted, and residents have returned home.
Police and Partner Response
West Midlands Police stated: "Working together with soldiers from 8 Engineer Brigade conducting Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD), partners managed the incident from initial discovery through to a render safe, consisting of a controlled detonation of the fuse yesterday evening and the subsequent safe removal of the bomb." Coventry City Council played a key role in supporting affected residents. Staff from across the Council worked overnight, with a rest centre established at Central Library which remained open until after midnight and supported almost 50 people.
Council teams also supported the operational response, with colleagues at Whitley Depot sourcing 340 tonnes of sand, delivered to the site by 6 AM to assist EOD in safely managing the device, the force added. Commending the soldiers for their efforts, Col Nick Handy said: "I would like to thank everyone for their co-operation and support over the last day to bring this to a safe conclusion."
Coventry Ch Supt Paul Joyce added: "I just want to give my thanks to everybody that was involved, including the local authority, fire and rescue, our military colleagues, and all of my own officers that were present making the environment safe for everybody to come and go."
