An unexploded 250 pound wartime bomb that was recently discovered on the seabed near Hinkley Point power station was safely destroyed in a controlled detonation on Tuesday evening (May 18th).
As first reported here by Burnham-On-Sea.com, the Hinkley Point C harbour authority issued a local notice to mariners to advise mariners to keep well clear of the corroded device, north of the power station site in the channel beyond Burnham.
EDF waited for calm weather, high tides and a license to be issued, allowing the controlled detonation of the unexploded ordnance by a team of experts, which took place at 5.45pm on Tuesday.
Several boats could be seen from Burnham in the channel north of Hinkley Point on Tuesday evening, as pictured above.
A 2,000 metre exclusion zone was put in place around the area in advance of the detonation, which was not visible from Burnham.
Hinkley Point C harbour master Nick Clarence said in an earlier notice to mariners: “Mariners are advised that a 250 pound bomb thought to date from World War II has been discovered by the Hinkley Point marine works principal contractor to the north of Hinkley Point C harbour authority statutory limits.”
It’s not the first time that unexploded wartime ordnance has been found in the area. We reported here in September 2017 that a 250lb bomb had been safely detonated.
And in 2008 a German sea mine was exploded after being found on Stert Island near Burnham.
The reason that so many have been found in the Bristol Channel is because it was formerly used as an army training range.
