A Second World War bomb has been detonated in a controlled explosion following the evacuation of 2,600 people in Exeter.

People took to Twitter to talk about the size of the blast, which happened just after 6.10pm, which reportedly could be heard for miles.

Royal Navy bomb disposal teams were sent to Glenthorne Road near the University of Exeter at 9am on Friday.

Woah, we're nowhere near this and it literally just rattled the windows. Properly. #Exeter #ExeterBomb https://t.co/lkbC2lCdjf

They found a “possible unexploded World War Two device” on a building site to the west of the university campus and worked through the night ahead of a disposal operation on Saturday.

Today the Army has evacuated around 2,600 properties so teams can examine the device and remove it from the site safely.

A 400-metre cordon and nearby road closures are also in place, Devon and Cornwall Police said.

“Police hope this work will be completed by the end of today, but will be guided by the bomb disposal team,” a statement said.

“Residents should be reassured that military, police and partners are working to maintain public safety.”

UPDATE: Major incident, Exeter – More than 2,000 homes are being evacuated this morning in preparation for the detonation of a suspected WW2 bomb by the Army, discovered at a building site on Glenthorne Road yesterday https://t.co/WyEitf9bis pic.twitter.com/dKaRf3BM3I

They added that “exemptions in COVID-19 social distancing rules exist for matters of public safety such as this”.

Deb Leighton Plom was evacuated from her home on Friday.

She posted a photo of the device on Twitter and said she and her family had been safely moved to a hotel.

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