Devon and Cornwall Police says residents are now free to return home as the cordon has been lifted.

Zhara Simpson
BBC South West

Authorities are starting to lift the 400m cordon where properties had been evacuated.

Plymouth City Council says following the completion of safety inspections, the only remaining restrictions will be around the building site itself, near Flamborough Road, where the device was found.

It says a small number of temporary road closures remain in place immediately around the site while highways and cleansing teams carry out clean-up work.

The council says: "The cordons will be physically adjusted over the next hour and we ask for patience while staff complete this work safely."

Zhara Simpson
BBC South West

Southway residents and businesses are being asked for patience to allow "vital safety checks" and damage assessments to be carried out.

The council says there was debris caused by the controlled detonation and thorough safety inspections are now required before people return to their homes, and so the 400m cordon remains in place.

Jenny Kumah
BBC South West England Correspondent

A convoy of big vehicles, including one that looked like a digger, have left the cordon area. There were teams of people in military uniform inside the passenger cabs.

The detonation happened this morning at 11:15 BST.

Plymouth City Council says the device has been made safe but the cordon hasn’t been lifted yet as safety inspections and damage assessments are being carried out.

The military, Devon and Cornwall Police and Plymouth City Council are scheduled to hold a press call at 14:00.

Zhara Simpson
BBC South West

Plymouth City Council says after assessing the device and determining that it was too unstable to move, specialists worked tirelessly to put "extensive mitigation measures in place to manage the risk and allow them to safely carry out their operation".

"This included carefully surrounding the device with hundreds of tonnes of sand and installing protective structures around nearby buildings.

"The experts were hopeful that the operation could be completed without triggering an explosion. However, due to the historic nature of the device and its complex two‑fuse design, this was not possible."

The council says whilst the device itself was now safe, it was essential safety inspections were completed before the cordon can be lifted and residents return to their homes.

"For example, cleaning up and inspecting local buildings," the council adds.

Residents from more than 1,200 properties were evacuated from within a 400m (1,300ft) cordon after the World War Two bomb was discovered on Wednesday afternoon, but what is next for them?

• Whilst the device is now safe, the cordon has not been lifted and people should continue to stay away, Plymouth Council says
• Residents have been encouraged to check the authority's website and social media channels for the latest updates - "We will update further when we know next steps," it has explained
• A press call is due at 14:00 BST with military, police and council officials
• Southway Youth and Community Centre on Hendwell Close remains open as an evacuation centre, where council officials are on hand to provide help and support, and a cafe has been set up

Officials from the military, Devon and Cornwall Police and Plymouth City Council will hold a press call at Crownhill Police Station at 14:00 BST.

Zhara Simpson
BBC South West

One resident who lives in Southway and went to stay at her parent's house with her son when they were evacuated, says this is the second time she has been evacuated for a WW2 bomb in Plymouth.

The first time was in 2024 when a 500kg bomb was found in Keyham, near where she was working.

Claire Hearl says: "When I was evacuated from the shop with the Keyham bomb, I didn't quite feel the enormity of the situation because that wasn't my home. But this time it was my home, it did hit a bit differently.

"I do hope I can get back because I have a rugby match in London to play and I need my clothes."

She says the last 48 hours have been a "little bit crazy" and she feels a sense of "relief" now the bomb has been dealt with.

Angela Kalwaites
BBC Radio Devon

There was a big, unmistakable bang and I leapt about a foot in the air.

We were right by the cordon when it happened and it was one of those things that really made you jump.

Lots of people came out of their houses in the area near Oakwood Primary School to have a look.

One lady said she had been drinking her cup of coffee when the bang happened and she ended up spilling it everywhere.

There's a lot of curiosity because they didn't know if it was going to happen like that, or at what time.

The police say they're not going to remove the cordon yet and it may be this afternoon before they allow residents to go back into their homes.

Jenny Kumah
BBC South West England Correspondent

Andrei and his partner, along with their two dogs, have been parked up near the cordon edge in their van. They have been staying in the vehicle since Wednesday when they got a knock on the door asking them to leave their home near where the device was found.

Andrei says: “We can’t get home so we park somewhere just for the day enjoy the day and spend the night - it’s not bad, it’s a little holiday” Andrei says he’s not too worried about any potential impact on his home.

"They are doing a good job. They put a lot of sand around so the impact is probably not going to be much.”

Zhara Simpson
BBC South West

Georgina Barnes
BBC South West

A local councillor says the incident has been a "deeply distressing and inconvenient time" for residents and businesses in the Southway area.

Councillor Sally Haydon, cabinet member for community safety at Plymouth City Council, says everyone's safety "was, and always will be, our absolute priority".

She says: “We understand that residents and businesses will be anxious to return and we ask for patience while these vital checks take place.

"Our evacuation centre at Southway Youth and Community Centre remains open for anyone who has been displaced, and we are working to provide further updates in the next few hours."

Zhara Simpson
BBC South West

The view from a nearby farm as the 250kg German SC250 WW2 device was detonated at 11:15 BST. The bomb was found on a building site on Flamborough Road in Southway on Wednesday.

Jenny Kumah
BBC South West England Correspondent

Jamie George is a veteran who lives on the edge of the cordon and was in his bathroom when the big detonation happened at about 11:15 BST.

He has returned from holiday this morning and the first he knew about the bomb was when he got home.

He says: “All of a sudden within like 30 seconds of me shutting my door, there was a big loud explosion.

"I just came outside and it’s just full of smoke everywhere and it’s been quite triggering. The first thing I’ve done was dive to the floor to take cover."

He adds: “I was 10 years in the army and served in Iraq and Northern Ireland. It’s just traumatic and triggered some memories.”

Georgina Barnes
BBC South West

Plymouth City Council says experts had been hopeful the operation could have been done without triggering an explosion - but due to the historic nature of the device and its two-fuse design, "this was not possible".

The bomb was "successfully rendered safe" by Royal Navy and Army unexploded ordnance specialists just after 11:15 BST.

Because of debris caused by the detonation, it says "thorough safety inspections" will now begin before people can come back into the 400m cordon.

It added specialists had worked "tirelessly over the past 12 hours" to manage the risks and allow them to carry out their operations.

This included surrounding the device with hundreds of tonnes of sand and protective structures to nearby buildings.

Georgina Barnes
BBC South West

The bomb has been detonated but the cordon is staying in place for now, Plymouth City Council has confirmed.

Residents and businesses are being asked for their patience to allow "vital safety checks" and damage assessments to now be carried out.

Zhara Simpson
BBC South West

Our reporters at the scene have heard a "large bang". Smoke is in the air and car alarms are going off.

Angela Kalwaites, who is near the cordon, says: "There was a big, big bang, you couldn't miss this one.

"As I look across the barrier there's smoke in the air and car alarms are going off.

"It was very loud and made us all jump."

Johnny Rutherford
BBC Spotlight

That was a big bang.

Zhara Simpson
BBC South West

People who have left their homes within the cordon and are in temporary accommodation will be contacted directly by the council, or by Plymouth Community Homes.

The council says it's currently "working to extend all hotel bookings where needed".

Johnny Rutherford
BBC Spotlight

I'm at the edge of Clittaford road where it meets Southway drive next to Oakwood school which has been closed while this situation is dealt with.

Right now drones are constantly taking off and landing in front of me - they go 200m down the road and hover. The bomb disposal squad earlier sent their robot down Southwark drive to the bomb.

The team seems to be going back and forth and there is talk of trying to slow burn out the fuse.

There is a couple in a camper van watching the scene - they have been in their camper for the last two nights with their two dogs and are waiting to go back to their home.

Next to me a line of press reporters and cameras await further information, and a number police officers are also here.