FLIGHTS ARE RUNNING as normal to and from London City Airport this morning, following the removal of a World War II bomb found at nearby King George V dock on Sunday evening.

The Met Police began the process of transporting the ordnance to a secure location at midnight. This came after it was initially moved at 6pm yesterday to a “secondary location” at the dock.

Bridges were closed to traffic as police worked with the Royal Navy to transport the device – which was confirmed to be a 500kg tapered-end shell around 1.5m long.

Jonny Campbell, the naval officer in charge of the bomb disposal divers, said the ordnance would be towed along the river after being removed from the sea bed.

“We will then attach high-grade military explosives before carrying out a controlled explosion,” he added.

The operation saw the evacuation of up to 500 residents who were allowed to their homes yesterday evening. The Newham Council local authority established a rest centre and asked residents to stay with family or friends if possible.

London City Airport CEO Robert Sinclair announced last night that flights would resume as normal today.

He said: “”To everyone who has been affected – whether you were due to fly on Monday, were evacuated from your home or had your commute to work disrupted by the DLR (Docklands Light Railway) closure – thank you for your patience and understanding.”

City Airport operates short-haul flights and is located in east London, close to the Canary Wharf business district.

Yesterday’s shutdown affected up to 16,000 passengers who were due to fly from London’s fifth-biggest airport, although some airlines switched their flights to the city’s other hubs.

With reporting from AFP

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