London airport closed after WWII bomb found

LONDON: London City Airport was closed on Monday as military experts worked to remove a 500-kilogramme German World War II bomb found in a neighbouring dock.

The unexploded ordnance was discovered in King George V Dock, during planned works near the runway of London’s most central airport. British police said the 1.5-metre shell was "lying in a bed of dense silt" and removing it depended on the tides.

Monday’s shutdown affected up to 16,000 passengers who were due to fly, although some airlines switched their flights to other London hubs. The bomb was discovered at around 5:00am (0500 GMT) on Sunday and a 214-metre exclusion zone was imposed "to ensure that the ordnance can be safely dealt with whilst limiting any risk to the public," police said.