Undefined Explosive Device (UED) event in Norfolk, Norwich area, United Kingdom on Sun 15th December 2024

Device found in Norwich river was bomb, police confirm

 Police have confirmed the device pulled from a city river over the weekend was an explosive.

People were warned to avoid the Bishop Bridge area of Norwich on Sunday after a teenage boy pulled a suspected bomb from the River Wensum while magnet fishing with his family.

A Norfolk Constabulary spokeswoman has since revealed the device was an anti-aircraft artillery round - a weapon used by militaries to defend against aerial attacks.

 After finding it, the Longs, who live near Beccles, sought advice from a magnet fishing friend that they knew had discovered bombs in the past.

He advised them to call 999 and police arrived at the scene just after 11am.

Officers installed a cordon around Bishop Bridge and several roads in the Kett's Hill, Gas Hill and Riverside Road area while waiting for bomb disposal experts to arrive.

The specialists safely resolved the incident by 3.15pm.

 Mrs Long, the teen's grandmother, said the device was around six inches long.

She described the event as a "bit of a shock".

"You don't expect it in Norwich," she said.