Royal Navy removes WWII bomb from River Thames in London

LONDON – Britain’s Royal Navy on Friday removed and detonated a still-dangerous World War II bomb whose discovery in the River Thames shut down a chunk of central London.

The Metropolitan Police force said officers were called Thursday afternoon “to reports of suspected World War II ordnance in the river” found by a dredger near the Houses of Parliament.

Police cordoned off roads in the area and closed two bridges over the river. Nearby Westminster subway station also was shut.

Navy disposal teams towed the 2-foot by 1-foot (60-centimetre by 30-centimetre) device downriver to Tilbury, in the Thames estuary, where it was detonated.

Lt. Mike St Pierre, who led the bomb-disposal team, said the device was in good condition, “and it clearly still presented a danger.”

London was heavily bombed by Nazi Germany during the war, and unexploded munitions are still occasionally found.