Bomb drama brought out the best in us

When a WW2 bomb was discovered in a Keyham garden, the mass evacuation of thousands of residents that followed shone a light on our city's incredible heroes

- Carl Eve

PLYMOUTH showed the very best of itself in a time of crisis, says city MP Luke Pollard.

Mr Pollard, the MP for Plymouth Sutton and Devonport, which covers Keyham, said the city should be incredibly proud of how successfully it carried out one of the largest evacuation operations since the end of the Second World War, while the military safely removed and disposed of the 500kg unexploded bomb found in Keyham.

Mr Pollard said: "This was down to the extraordinary team effort that took place between Plymouth City Council staff, local councillors, agencies, hundreds of volunteers, staff at the Life Centre, the police and many more.

"Together, people worked heroically around the clock to keep residents safe, looked after and well-informed.

"In particular, I want to pay tribute to the skill, bravery and expertise of our Armed Forces personnel and bomb disposal experts from the Army and Royal Navy.

"They successfully carried out this complex operation under extremely high pressure, showing once again why they embody the best of Britain."

Mr Pollard said he particularly wanted to express thanks to the residents of Keyham, who had to put up with an incredible amount of disruption and uncertainty during the operation to remove the bomb.

He said: "Although many people have returned to their daily lives this week, there are some residents in Keyham who are still coming to terms with the damage caused to their properties as a result of the bomb disposal teams safely carrying out their work.

"In the aftermath of the operation, it is vital these residents are able to receive support and financial compensation to put right any of the damage caused by the effort to safely deal with the bomb.

"The community has been through an awful lot in recent years and the heavy police presence in the area last week will have brought back painful memories of the tragic shooting that took place in August 2021.