John Ayres
BBC Spotlight

It's been quite a day and night for the residents here in Exmouth.

I'm at the local leisure centre where people can come if they need help, support or information.

Some residents who were evacuated have gone to hotels but others have had to stay here.

At the moment they are getting ready for another evening - the council is trying to make it more comfortable for them.

Information has been dripping in - and there should be more shortly - but at the moment it is a big wait for everyone.

Archie Farmer
BBC News

If you're just catching up, here's what we know so far about the seperate discoveries of unexploded bombs in Devon:

• A 400m (1,312ft) cordon is in place in Exmouth after a German World War Two bomb was dredged from the marina
• Paul Arnott, leader of East Devon District Council, says teams are working to "resolve the situation as quickly and safely as possible"
• A separate 100m (328ft) cordon remains in place in the Millbay area of Plymouth
• Plymouth City Council says an unexploded World War Two bomb uncovered in the city is on the same site which was previously partially searched and cleared in 2024
• The main entrance to the port in Plymouth is closed until the area is declared safe

Ch Insp Jason Bryant from Devon and Cornwall Police is reassuring people it is not the first time the force has dealt with unexploded devices.

In 2024 a 500kg (1,102lb) German World War Two bomb was found in the Keyham area of the city, forcing the evacuation of thousands of people.

"Please be reassured, the city of Plymouth, we're brilliant at this, we've done this before and we've taken the learnings from that," he says.

Victoria Graham
BBC Spotlight

Even when Devon's bombs are dealt with - many are asking - how many more are out there?

Tonight on BBC Spotlight we'll be mapping the city of Plymouth, pinpointing where World War Two bombs fell, lying dormant until discovered.

History is coming back to haunt us.

Join us on BBC One and iPlayer at 18:30 GMT.

Caroline Robinson
Devon

David Reed, Conservative MP for Exmouth and Exeter East, says some people are choosing to stay in their homes despite advice to leave.

"For people's own safety they need to leave their homes... the police have done a good job of knocking on people's doors and asking people to go," he says.

"I think some people have stayed, they've signed a waiver but I would really implore them now for their own safety."

Anoushka Williams
BBC Radio Devon

Join me on BBC Radio Devon from 18:00 GMT as we bring you a special programme on the unexploded bombs found in Plymouth and Exmouth.

We'll be bringing you the latest lines from both scenes.

Plymouth City Council says an unexploded World War Two bomb uncovered in the city is on the same site which was previously partially searched and cleared in 2024.

Two potential devices previously identified in the car park in the Millbay area were both found to be harmless.

The council says a more detailed survey was carried out after the surface was removed - leading to the discovery of the 55kg bomb yesterday.

Alex Green
BBC South West

Stacey Anderson, an archivist at The Box in Plymouth, said some of the bombs dropped on Plymouth during WW2 may have gone undetected for so long due to the height from which they were dropped.

She says those working to identify the bombs dropped at the time, to compile what is now known as the Blitz Book, could easily have missed some - particularly if they were unexploded.

Plymouth City Council says the land off Bath Street was surveyed in 2024 to locate bedrock. This identified two potential anomalies - both found to be harmless.

Since Martin Street car park was closed, the local authority says it carried out a more detailed UXO survey which was not possible before - which revealed another anomaly.

Millbay Academy school and Plymouth City Council's offices at Ballard House will remain shut on Friday, the local authority says.

The Moxy Hotel in the Millbay area of the city will also stay closed until the device has been made safe, it adds.

It says a 100m cordon remains in place in Millbay and vehicles parked inside the cordon cannot be accessed or removed until it is lifted.

"Enhanced scanning equipment" is expected to arrive on site shortly to determine the safest way to make the bomb safe, the council says.

Councillor Paul Arnott, leader of East Devon District Council, says teams are working to "resolve the situation as quickly and safely as possible".

"This is an understandably unsettling situation for residents, and we are grateful for the patience and cooperation shown by the community," he says.

"Our focus is on safety [and] supporting those affected."

Image source, S.I UXO

We've been hearing from police in Plymouth who have been giving more detail on the operation in the city.

Ch Insp Jason Bryant says specialist X-ray equipment is being sourced from Didcot in Oxfordshire.

However, he says the machine will be taken to Exmouth first, where the evacuation area is bigger.

"We understand this is a challenging time for people ... but our overriding priority has to be public safety," he says.

Andy Wood, director of place at East Devon District Council, says additional resources are being brought to Exmouth.

"We do know that it's a significant piece of unexploded World War Two ordnance, hence everyone is being cautious," he says.

"Whilst the situation is assessed there are additional personnel and kits, particularly from the military, en route."

Wood says situation still needed to be fully understood.

"What's being assessed currently is the nature of the risk... that's why the experts are on site," he says.

"We are trying to provide as much information as we can accepting that it is inherently a dynamic situation and it's evolving."

A reminder you can tune in to BBC Radio Devon to hear the latest on two incidents involving unexploded WW2 bombs.

In Exmouth about 2,000 homes have been evacuated and in Plymouth about 100 properties have been evacuated.

There will be a special programme on BBC Radio Devon with Anoushka Williams from 18:00 until 22:00 GMT as we bring you the latest lines from both scenes.

• Two separate discoveries of suspected unexploded ordinance were made in Devon on Wednesday
• A 400m (1,312ft) is in place in Exmouth after a device, confirmed to be an unexploded WWII bomb, was dredged from the water
• East Devon District Council said about 2,000 homes have been evacuated in Exmouth
• A separate 100m (328ft) cordon remains in place in the Millbay area of Plymouth
• Dr Harry Bennett, from the University of Plymouth, claims the Plymouth device is an SC50 bomb
• The main entrance to the port in Plymouth is closed until the area is declared safe

The owner of Reformer Pilates Plymouth, based in Light Studios in Millbay, is one business owner affected by the discovery of the unexploded WWII bomb.

Tom Walter says he is unable to access the studios meaning all classes have been cancelled.

"It's completely closed unfortunately," he says.

"It's a little bit annoying, but you can't do anything about it."

We've been hearing from Ch Insp Chris Conway from Devon and Cornwall Police who says the situation in Exmouth is causing "significant concern and worry" in the community.

He thanked people for their positivity after having to leave their homes while "we make sure the unexploded device is made safe".

"Our first and foremost priority is making sure the public is safe," he says.

He says people who need medicine from their homes should contact 111 and explain the circumstances and additional medication will be made available.

"We really encourage them to take that course of action rather than trying to revisit the cordons and regain entry into their properties," he says.

Plymouth City Council (PCC) says it has received a number of questions about why the device has only just been recovered.

It says in 2024 the land off Bath Street in the Millbay area was surveyed to locate bedrock and identified two potential anomalies - "both of which were discovered to be harmless".

Since the closure of Martin Street car park a more detailed unexploded ordnance survey has taken place, which was not possible before due to the car park surface, it says.

The enhanced survey detected another anomaly, PCC says.

It adds further testing and a risk assessment indicated it was appropriate to uncover the anomaly under the supervision of specialists.

Image source, David Bunton

East Devon District Council has issued another update on the situation in Exmouth but much of it we already knew.

It says a 400m cordon remains in place around Exmouth Marina and about 2,000 homes have been evacuated.

Residents living inside the cordon are still unable to return home while bomb disposal experts "assess the device and determining the safest method for disposal", says the council.

The local authority is reminding residents assistance is available at Exmouth Leisure Centre for those who need support, information or temporary shelter.

Temporary accommodation has been found for about 100 residents, it adds.

Caroline Densley
BBC Radio Devon

We've heard from people in both Exmouth and Plymouth whose lives have been affected by the discoveries of two unexploded bombs.

As part of our coverage, we were at Exmouth Leisure Centre, where we heard from business owners and residents who were evacuated.

We also caught up with the leisure centre's manager and Exmouth and Exeter East MP David Reed.

Reed said he had been humbled by the way the community pulled together and would be pressing authorities for updates.

We also heard from Paul Arnott, leader of East Devon District Council, who told us that plans were in place for tonight should the disruption continue into tomorrow.

In Plymouth, we heard from Tom, who runs a fitness business in Millbay and had to cancel all his Pilates classes.

You can listen back on BBC Sounds.

The port in Plymouth is closed, Associated British Ports (ABP) has confirmed.

An ABP spokesperson said it would continue to liaise with police and other stakeholders.

They added: "The main entrance to the port will remain closed until the area is declared safe by the authorities. This affects access via Millbay Road, but there is no disruption to port operations."