Passengers have been told not to travel to London City airport until further notice after a world war two ordnance was discovered in the river Thames near the runway.

The Royal Navy and the Metropolitan police have created a 214 metre exclusion zone around George V dock in east London, which was heavily bombed during the second world war, following the discovery of the ordnance during pre-planned work at the airport on Sunday morning.

The airport has closed and severe disruption is expected to affect inbound and outbound flights on Monday while engineers remove the device. Passengers have been told to contact their airline before travelling.

There are also local road closures near the incident, Transport for London said.

Specialist Met police officers and Royal Navy technicians confirmed the nature of the device after it was discovered at 5:06am on Sunday. The exclusion zone was implemented at 10pm the same day to ensure public safety, police said.

“Following the discovery of a world war two ordnance in King George V Dock as part of planned development works, a 214 metre exclusion zone has been implemented as a precaution by the Met police. As a result, London City airport is currently closed,” a spokesperson for the airport said.

“All passengers due to travel from London City on Monday are advised to contact their airline for further information. Passengers are advised not to travel to the airport until further notice.

“The airport is cooperating fully with the Met police, Royal Navy and [the] London borough of Newham.”

The Guardian

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