Newtownards: Homes evacuated from suspected WW2 bomb site

Police say more than 400 homes have been evacuated in Newtownards, County Down, following the discovery of a suspected World War Two bomb.

It was found at a building site at the Rivenwood housing development in Movilla Road on Friday.

A police cordon is in place at the top of Rivenwood Road, where new houses are under construction.

A bomb disposal unit is currently on site, with Army personnel using diggers to pile sand on top of the device ahead of a planned controlled explosion.

North Down and Ards District Commander Superintendent Johnston McDowell said: “This is a significant number of properties, and we thank residents for their patience and understanding.

“I would like to state that if home owners or residents have not been spoken to directly by police, or received information in relation to this matter, it’s unlikely that they will be impacted by the clearance operation at this time.

“It is anticipated at this stage that the operation will continue for a number of days.

Stephanie lives near to where the bomb was discovered and said the evacuation has been “very disruptive”.

“I’m starting a new job tomorrow and it’s been very hard to find somewhere that I’ve been been able to stay and then finding somewhere for my pets as well, so it has been pretty stressful,” she said.

“We don’t know if there is going to be damage to our properties, and there’s been no guidance to how to secure our homes to lessen any damage.”

On Saturday evening, the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) issued a leaflet to residents requesting them to leave their homes by 10:00 BST on Sunday due to the “possibility of risk to life and property”.

The statement added that all homes and businesses within a 400m (0.25 miles) radius of the “sizeable” munition were impacted and that the operation could take “five or more days to complete”.

A steady stream of cars left the development on Sunday morning.

Some residents are going to stay with family, including newlyweds Andrew and Sara Lightbody, who got married just a fortnight ago.

They told BBC News NI that a police officer called at their door on Saturday night and told them to evacuate by 10:00 BST on Sunday.

They have packed their dogs and a few personal items.

James Fraser, the developer of the site, said the suspected device was discovered by workers during some ground works for a new phase of the development where 40 homes are under construction.