Plymouth City Council says once experts confirmed the device could be removed safely the aim was to "complete the operation swiftly and safely".

The device which dropped on the city during World War Two was found on the building site between Bath Street and Martin Street.

The council said bomb disposal specialists assessed the device to determine the safest and least disruptive method of disposal, which included an assessment late on Thursday afternoon using specialist X-ray equipment.

It says for the device to be removed in the "safest and least impactful approach" residents living within 150m (500ft) of the convoy route were required to leave their homes.

Teams from the council and partner agencies were in the area to offer assistance and the Christ the King Church Hall was open for those needing additional support.

The council said: "We recognise that leaving at short notice, particularly at night, is far from ideal.

• On Wednesday, two World War Two bombs were found in separate discoveries in Exmouth and Plymouth
• One was dredged up in Exmouth Marina
• The other was found on a building site in the Millbay area of Plymouth - an area that was previously searched in 2024, but was examined again after a car park surface was removed
• Specialist X-ray equipment was brought in to help bomb disposal specialists make the devices safe
• About 800 Plymouth residents were asked to leave their homes between 23:00 on Thursday and 03:00 on Friday so the bomb could be removed and taken to the sea
• The bomb was then destroyed by a controlled detonation at sea
• A cordon in Exmouth was extended at 21:00 on Thursday ahead of plans to deal with the device at high tide

On Thursday, some residents in Exmouth faced a second night out of their homes after a World War Two bomb was discovered on Wednesday.

East Devon District Council announced the Exmouth cordon would be extended from 400m to 600m. The extension involved a further 500 properties on top of the 2,000 already affected.

It said the Exmouth bomb was due to be taken out to sea during high tide on Friday, which peaked at 04:37.

An update on the operation is expected shortly.

The World War Two bomb found in the Millbay area of Plymouth was safely removed and disposed of overnight, the city's council says.

At about 23:00 on Thursday the council announced about 800 residents were being asked to leave their homes to allow specialists to remove the bomb and transport it to King Point Marina and then out to sea.

A military convoy took the device and it was destroyed in a controlled explosion.

At 02:50 the council said the cordon was being lifted and those who had been evacuated could return home.

It said: "We know that being asked to leave your home at short notice – especially at night – is far from ideal.

"Thank you to everyone who was impacted for your patience, co-operation and understanding throughout this challenging operation."

A World War Two bomb found on a building site in Plymouth has been successfully removed and destroyed.

About 800 residents living along the route the bomb was taken were asked to evacuate their homes overnight.

We're expecting an update on the operation to deal with the bomb dredged up in Exmouth Marina shortly.

We are pausing our live coverage following the separate discoveries of two World War Two bombs found in Plymouth and Exmouth on Wednesday.

In Exmouth the cordon has been extended from 400m (1,312ft) to 600m (1,967ft), meaning thousands of residents face a second night out of their homes.

The device will be taken out to sea at high tide in the early hours of Friday, says East Devon District Council.

In Plymouth a 100m cordon remains in place in the Millbay area of the city, with Millbay Academy school, Ballard House and the Moxy hotel closed as a result.

Do join us again in the morning as we bring you the latest from Exmouth and Plymouth.

Bosses at Exmouth leisure centre say they are expecting more people to arrive at the evacuation point after the cordon was extended, affecting a further 500 properties on top of the 2,000 earlier affected.

Chief operating officer Matt Wright says: "We've been told to obviously expect a significant influx.

"The team at the moment are setting up lots of camp beds and roll mats and sleeping bags in the sports hall to try and make sure we can accommodate them all."

If you're just joining us, here is what you may have missed:

• Residents in Exmouth and Plymouth face a second night out of their homes after the seperate discovery of World War Two bombs
• A cordon in Exmouth has been extended from 400m to 600m, affecting a further 500 properties on top of about 2,000 affected earlier
• The Exmouth device will be taken out to sea at high tide early on Friday morning
• In Plymouth, a 100m cordon remains in place in the Millbay area of the city
• The city council said the device is on the same site that was previously searched and cleared in 2024

Here is the full statement released by East Devon District Council earlier confirming the cordon in Exmouth is being extended and the unexploded device is to be taken out to sea early on Friday morning.

"The safety cordon put in place in Exmouth due to the unexploded Second World War device (UXO) is being extended from 9pm tonight," it says.

"Following extensive expert advice over the past 24 hours, the cordon from Exmouth Marina will increase from 400 metres to 600 metres at 9pm.

"Affected residents are currently receiving door to door advice to leave their property by 9pm.

"It will mean that residents will be displaced from around a further 500 properties tonight, in addition to those evacuated last night.

"Bomb disposal experts from the military have been assessing the device to determine with partners the best possible approach for its disposal.

"After considering all options, partners have agreed that the safest and least impactful option is to carefully transport the device to sea at high tide in the early hours of tomorrow morning (Friday), where it can be disposed of.

"Residents within the cordon are being asked to leave their homes as soon as possible and are encouraged to make arrangements to stay with friends and family.

"Teams from Devon & Cornwall Police, will be in the area to knock on the doors of affected properties to ensure people have the support they need.

"The Evacuation Assembly Point remains open at Exmouth LED Leisure Centre, at the Royal Avenue, with Devon County Council and East Devon District Council staff on hand to provide help and support. Those who are unable to stay with family and friends will be advised on accommodation.

"Once the operation is complete, police will begin to reopen the roads. If the operation goes to plan, this will happen tomorrow morning. Exmouth residents affected by the cordon will be allowed back to their homes as soon as it is safe to do so."

A reminder you can listen in to the latest coverage on the situation in Plymouth and Exmouth on BBC Radio Devon.

In the last hour it has been confirmed the cordon in Exmouth has been extended and the device will be taken out to sea early on Friday morning.

A special show with Anoushka Williams is on until 22:00 GMT.

East Devon District Council says police are door-knocking affected properties in the new cordon area.

It is encouraging people to stay with friends and family but the evacuation point at Exmouth LED Leisure Centre will remain open to those who are unable to stay with friends and family, it says.

Assistant Chief Constable Nicki Leaper, from Devon and Cornwall Police, says: "We understand this has been an extremely unsettling time for the community, especially those who have been displaced from their homes, but safety has been our overriding concern throughout.

"I would like to thank everyone for their support with this cordon being put in place and maintained this evening and tonight leading to a return to some normality for all on Friday.”

We've now received a map from East Devon District Council showing the new 600m cordon.

A further 500 properties have been affected, on top of about 2,000 affected by the 400m cordon, says the council.

Image source, East Devon District Council

East Devon District Council says the unexploded bomb in Exmouth will be taken out to sea at high tide tomorrow morning.

It says: "After considering all options, partners have agreed that the safest and least impactful option is to carefully transport the device to sea at high tide in the early hours of tomorrow morning (Friday), where it can be disposed of.

"Residents within the cordon are being asked to leave their homes as soon as possible and are encouraged to make arrangements to stay with friends and family."

East Devon District Council has confirmed the cordon in Exmouth is being extended from 400m (1,312ft) to 600m (1,967ft).

It says this means people in a further 500 properties are being asked to leave their homes tonight.

"Affected residents are currently receiving door to door advice to leave their property by 21:00," the council says in a statement.

"It will mean that residents will be displaced from around a further 500 properties tonight, in addition to those evacuated last night.

"Bomb disposal experts from the military have been assessing the device to determine with partners the best possible approach for its disposal."

The cordon is being extended in Exmouth, says BBC reporter John Henderson, who is at the scene.

It is being extended from 400m (1,312ft) to 600m (1,967ft), he says.

Arnott adds the community effort has been "fantastic to see".

"If everybody in Exmouth had turned up here, and hadn't been housed by family and friends, it would have been a hell of a challenge," he says.

"Last night it was amazing to see a team of people going to Tesco buying every duvet they had there...

"But ultimately I think people were sleeping on two or three crash mats.

"We've tried to improve that tonight. It's not a luxury stay... but we don't know how long it's going to be."

In Exmouth East Devon District Council leader Paul Arnott has been reflecting on the efforts to get everyone housed on Wednesday night after residents were advised to leave their properties.

Speaking to BBC Spotlight, he says: "I've probably had about one hours' sleep.

"By about 12:30 last night from a standing start at tea time we got everybody in somewhere.

"It's probably going to be the status quo tomorrow."

This map held by The Box museum in Plymouth shows all the incendiary devices that dropped on the city during World War Two.

This video explains more about the bombs that fell on Plymouth.

Caroline Robinson
BBC News

In Exmouth residents who live inside the cordon are being reminded they can go to the LED Community Leisure Centre.

Chief operating officer Matt Wright says they have just had a "fairly sizeable delivery of sleeping bags and camp mats".

"There's been hundreds that have come through throughout the day, I think there are probably about 60 people in there at the moment," he says.

"If there are additional people that need to come here we can put them up in the most comfortable fashion possible."

Caroline Robinson
BBC News

Image source, Rachel Nicholls

Rachel Nicholls who lives just outside the cordon in Exmouth says she received a message from her neighbour while she was at work telling her to come home in case of evacuation.

Speaking to BBC Radio Devon, she says: "It's funny what goes through your mind, I was driving back from Exeter thinking, 'What do you take from your house, how long are you going for, do you take your passport?'."

She says the communication between her neighbours was something positive to come out of the experience.