Police say operation to make Co Down wartime bomb safe could 'take five days'

An operation to make safe an area of Co Down following the discovery of a suspected Second World War era bomb could take up to five days, police have said.

The device was found in the Rivenwood area of Newtownards last week.

A large number of homes have been evacuated following the discovery of suspected munitions on Thursday morning just after 11am.

On Monday, the PSNI's District Commander for Ards and North Down, Superintendent Johnston McDowell, said the sheer size of the bomb means that they have to put in place a 400-metre (1,312ft) cordon.

He said there is a serious risk of death or serious injury to anyone within that area.

The operation is in the mitigation phase to allow for the examination of the device by the military, and a decision will be made later around next steps, including whether the device will be dealt with at the scene or removed, he added.

Mr McDowell said based on similar operations that have taken place, it is estimated the procedure will take around five days, but could take less or more time

"In excess of 400 homes have been affected by this operation which is a significant number of properties," he said.

"I and partners would like to thank residents for their patience and understanding. I would like to state that if your home hasn't been attended by police and police haven't spoken to you directly, it is unlikely that you will be impacted by the clearance operation at this time.

"The operation has now moved into the mitigation phase and work has commenced on establishing protection to nearby properties.

"There is no definite timescale - however, previous operations of this nature have shown that this commonly takes five days before the area is safe to enter.

"A police cordon is in place and road users are advised to continue to avoid the area.

"I appreciate the frustration and disruption this has caused. However, keeping people safe is paramount and we will not take any risks."

Mr McDowell said a multi-agency support hub, including the local health service Trust, is in place and is liaising closely with residents with vulnerabilities to find more suitable accommodation.