Thousands of homes in Exeter were evacuated yesterday as an unexploded WW2 bomb

Over 2,600 households and more than 1,400 students from halls of residence for the University of Exeter were evacuated on Friday morning.

According to a tweet from the University of Exeter, builders on private land found the 8ft long explosive device near Streatham campus and a major incident was declared by the police.

It is thought that a controlled detonation will take place later on Saturday evening as bomb disposal experts started to examine the device this morning.

The explosive is presumed to be from the Baedecker Raids back in the 1940s.

Devon and Cornwall Police reassured the public that while the controlled explosion, taking place in a mitigation box containing tonnes of sand, will be heard across Exeter, that it is not a cause for public concern.

The police anticipate that when the controlled explosion has been finalised and assessed, people may be able to return to their households as soon as this evening.