Bomb (Air Delivered) event in United Kingdom on Thu 11th January 2024

Suspected bomb found on fishing boat in harbour  

The alarm was raised in a Cornish harbour on Thursday after a suspected bomb was found on a fishing trawler, the Coastguard said.

The Coastguard, police and the Royal Navy's explosive ordnance disposal team were all called to Looe Harbour at about 12:45 GMT.

The device was taken out to sea to a safe location, according to the Maritime and Coastguard Agency.

It was due to be made safe on Friday, the agency said.

The Royal Navy's bomb disposal team from HMNB Devonport will be carrying out a controlled explosion on the object which is currently on the seabed south of the Breakwater in Plymouth Sound.

The navy said the explosion would be carried out this afternoon, taking into account the current tides and sea state conditions.

It said the team was planning to lay a small charge next to the object and "initiate the controlled explosion".

Speaking to BBC Radio Cornwall, Fred Alsop, from the Fish Market Restaurant in Looe, said he could not open his restaurant on the quay on Thursday evening because the area was cordoned off.

He said: "All of a sudden, just as we were about to open the restaurant last night, we were informed by police that we couldn't do so as a quarantined area of the quay was to be cordoned off and bomb disposal from the Royal Navy were on their way."

Mr Alsop said it was "surreal" that one of the very trawlers the restaurant relies on for its fresh fish had forced its doors to stay closed.

"We're a fresh fish restaurant which specialises in, you know, local day boat fish from Looe and then to be scuppered by the very vessel that we rely on... it's quite a surreal selection of events."