Villages to empty after bomb find

More than 1,000 people living in two villages in North Yorkshire have left their homes to allow a World War II bomb to be detonated.

The 500lb (227kg) device was found in a field near Ebberston on Sunday by enthusiasts who are excavating a plane which crashed in the area in the 1940s.

Ebberston and nearby Allerston have been evacuated for the bomb to be made safe in a controlled blast.

Police said the primary objective was to ensure the safety of villagers.

Controlled explosion

An RAF team will be responsible for carrying out the controlled explosion at 1500 BST, police said.

Resident Ivan Ash: 'Nobody bothered to have a look inside and think, "I wonder if there's a bomb in there"'

A 300m cordon placed around the field where the bomb was found was extended to more than a kilometre ahead of the detonation.

The nearby A170 will also be closed for a short period.

Leaflets about the evacuation were delivered to Ebberston and Allerston residents on Monday night and buses were put on to take people to the village hall at Snainton, which is about two miles away.

via BBC NEWS | UK | England | North Yorkshire | Villages to empty after bomb find.

Good cover story. They probably found a demon hole with reptilian alien dragon beasts in it and they are planning to seal it up with explosives. Safety of the villagers, indeed.