Watch: This is the controlled explosion of a 83-year-old German SC500 kg World War Two bomb found in Northern Ireland this week
Ammunition Technical Officers yesterday afternoon carried out a controlled explosion of a bomb, which was discovered in the Rivenwood area of Newtownards on Thursday, 15th August.
According to a PSNI statement, the item was confirmed to be a German SC500 kg World War Two bomb and understood to have been around 83-years-old.
The statement adds that ‘even though this was a historic piece of munition, the bomb still carried a significant risk to public safety and a highly complex evacuation operation was prompted’.
Residents have been returning to their homes following the controlled explosion of a World War Two bomb.
The 500kg (1,100lb) air-dropped SC-500 German bomb was found at a building site at the Rivenwood housing development last Thursday.
Four hundred nearby homes were evacuated on Saturday with residents told they could be out of their homes for five days.
Military experts had worked to reduce any damage from dealing with the bomb by constructing a sand-filled structure around it.
Following three days of operational activity to make the area safe, police confirmed just after 6pm last night that residents could return to their homes.