'Wartime bomb' found near train line sparks major police investigation

27 February 2024 , 11:47

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Officers closed the A658 Harrogate Road at Apperley Bridge in Bradford on Tuesday (Image: Google)

A major police investigation has been launched after a suspected World War 2 bomb was found near a train line.

Officers closed the A658 Harrogate Road at Apperley Bridge in Bradford this morning following the discovery of "unexploded ordinance", which is understood to date back to the war.

Trains from Leeds to Bradford and Leeds to Skipton have also been cancelled. Footage from the scene showed a 100-metre police cordon in place and officers patrolling the area. Members of the ambulance service are also at the scene as a precaution.

Northern Rail said a "wartime bomb" had been found "near the railway between Leeds and Shipley", leaving all lines blocked.

The British Transport Police said: "British Transport Police were called to Apperley Bridge Railway Station just before 9.30am today (27 February) to reports of an unexploded ordinance found near the station during excavation work taking place. Currently a 100m cordon is in place as a precaution and officers are working with West Yorkshire Police and the ambulance service to ensure the safety of those in the area." An Explosive Ordnance Disposal team later confirmed the ordinance is a "solid metal shell" and poses no threat to the public.

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Drivers have meanwhile been urged to find alternative routes. A statement from West Yorkshire Police on social media read: "Road closures are in place on the A658 Harrogate Road at Apperley Bridge, Bradford and motorists are advised to find an alternative route." Construction work for a platform extension programme at Apperley Bridge railways station had been taking place when the bomb was found.

The latest reports come not long after several days of chaos unfolded in Plymouth, where thousands of people were evacuated from their homes over a 500kg WW2 bomb found in a garden. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) said Friday's operation was “one of the largest UK peacetime evacuation operations since WW2”, and confirmed the bomb had been “detonated successfully at 9.51pm”.

Natalie Jary said the bomb was found by her father at their home in the Keyham area as he dug up foundations for a home extension, and told Sky News: "[This is the] last thing I thought would happen doing an extension I want to say thank you to the street and thank you to police and council. I wanted to say sorry to Keyham".

More than 100 personnel from the British Army and Royal Navy, including bomb disposal experts, were involved in last week's complex operation, along with Plymouth City Council officials, Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service, Devon and Cornwall Police and members of the armed forces.

Benedict Tetzlaff-Deas