Moment the 110lb WWII bomb that forced Britain's Got Talent to abandon rehearsals and threatened Wembley play-offs is detonated
- Army experts took the bomb to Bedfordshire for a controlled explosion
- The 110-lb device was dropped near Wembley Stadium in the 1940s
- Local residents were wanred the bomb presented a genuine risk to life
- Workers unearthed the unexploded bomb on a building site in Wembley
This is the moment a 110lb WWII bomb which caused major disruption around Wembley Stadium, forcing Britain's Got Talent to cancel rehearsals and even threatened last weekend's football, exploded.
The Metropolitan Police was forced to cordon-off a 400 metre area after workers found the massive device on a building site on Empire Way in Wembley.
Army bomb disposal officers removed the device from the scene to a quarry in Bedfordshire where it was safely detonated earlier today.
The Nazi bomb was taken from Wembley to a quarry in Bedfordshire where it was detonated earlier today
The 110lb bomb was unearthed by workers on a building site near Wembley Stadium last week
The 50kg explosive, which is believed to have been dropped over the capital during Nazi bombing raids in the early 1940s, was discovered by builders working near Wembley Stadium in north-west London yesterday
The discovery forced producers on Britain’s Got Talent to studio was evacuated after an unexploded 110lb Second World War bomb was discovered by builders near Wembley Stadium.
Performers rehearsing for the ITV programme and more than 300 residents were among those cleared outside the potential danger area.
During the incredibly dangerous removal operation, the Army warned that there was 'a genuine risk to life'.
A video of the controlled explosion showed a plume of dust rocket more than 100 feet into the air proving the danger posed by the high-power explosive..
The unexploded 110lb Second World War bomb has forced hundreds of residents to be evacuated in the Wembley area and members of the Army bomb disposal unit (pictured) have warned of a 'genuine risk to life'
The bomb was removed from the scene in a police convoy at around 2pm this afternoon, less than 24 hours after it was discovered by builders. It will now be taken to a secret location where it will carefully detonated
Army bomb disposal experts discuss the best way to dispose of the unexploded Second World War bomb
The discovery had threatened to delay the live semi-finals of Britain's Got Talent as well as the Football League play-off finals.
Following the discovery of the bomb, Fountain Studios - where rehearsals for the BGT live shows were taking place - as well as more than 300 homes and businesses were evacuated by police.
Army bomb disposal worked through the night at the scene in a bid to try and safely defuse the unexploded device.
An Army spokesman said: ‘This bomb is a live munition in a potentially dangerous condition so it's important that people listen to the police and evacuate their homes if asked.
‘We will do all we can to minimise the disruption but ask the public to bear with us - any bomb, even under a controlled explosion could cause significant damage to property.’
Royal Logistic Corps disposal teams from Northolt in north-west London and Ashchurch in Gloucestershire were among those involved in excavating the Luftwaffe Sprengbombe-Cylindrisch general purpose bomb.
Meanwhile, the Royal Engineers built a blast wall around the site in order to limit an accidental explosion. The Army spokesman said the team was ‘very well experienced’.
He added: ‘They've dealt with Improvised Explosive Devices in Iraq, Afghanistan and Northern Ireland which are much more complex than Second World War munitions.’
In March, a 550lb (250kg) bomb was found in Bermondsey, south-east London, before being taken to Kent to be destroyed once it had been defused
German bombs from the Second World War uniquely have their fuses on the side, rather than in the tail or nose, where fuses are located on more modern devices.
Among the acts understood to be rehearsing at the time of the evacuation of the television studios was The Crumble Song singer Lorraine Bowen - given a gold buzzer by judge David Walliams
Cleared: Performers rehearsing for Britain's Got Talent were among those cleared outside a 1,300ft police cordon after an unexploded bomb was found on a building site near Wembley Stadium in north-west London
Bomb disposal teams worked around the clock to minimise disruption caused by the bomb
THE BLITZ: THE MOST INTENSE BOMBING CAMPAIGN BRITAIN HAS EVER SEEN AND THE EFFECTS ARE STILL BEING FELT 70 YEARS ON...
The Blitz began on September 7, 1940, and was the most intense bombing campaign Britain has ever seen.
Named after the German word 'Blitzkrieg', meaning lightning war, the Blitz claimed the lives of more than 40,000 civilians.
Between September 7, 1940, and May 21, 1941, there were major raids across the UK with more than 20,000 tonnes of explosives dropped on 16 British cities.
London was attacked 71 times and bombed by the Luftwaffe for 57 consecutive nights.
The Old Bailey in London during the Blitz
The City and the East End bore the brunt of the bombing in the capital with the course of the Thames being used to guide German bombers. Londoners came to expect heavy raids during full-moon periods and these became known as 'bombers'moons'.
More than one million London houses were destroyed or damaged and of those who were killed in the bombing campaign, more than half of them were from London.
In addition to London's streets, several other UK cities - targeted as hubs of the island's industrial and military capabilities - were battered by Luftwaffe bombs including Glasgow, Liverpool, Plymouth, Cardiff, Belfast and Southampton and many more.
Deeply-buried shelters provided the most protection against a direct hit, although in 1939 the government refused to allow tube stations to be used as shelters so as not to interfere with commuter travel.
However, by the second week of heavy bombing in the Blitz the government relented and ordered the stations to be opened. Each day orderly lines of people queued until 4pm, when they were allowed to enter the stations.
Despite the blanket bombing of the capital, some landmarks remained intact - such as St Pauls Cathedral, which was virtually unharmed, despite many buildings around it being reduced to rubble.
Hitler intended to demoralise Britain before launching an invasion using his naval and ground forces. The Blitz came to an end towards the end of May 1941, when Hitler set his sights on invading the Soviet Union.
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