Soho venues evacuated after unexploded Second World War bomb found
evacuated an area of Soho in central London following the discovery of an unexploded Second World War bomb during building work.
Officers were called to a building site near Dean Street at 1:42pm yesterday after reports of the suspected explosive device.
Videos posted on Twitter showed groups of people leaving buildings and gathering as police established a cordon.
The Metropolitan Police said that cordons were placed between Oxford Street, Charing Cross Road, Shaftesbury Avenue, Lexington Street and Poland Street. Evacuations took place as a precaution.
Soho Hotel, the Soho Theatre and private members’ venue the Groucho Club were all evacuated.
Shortly after 5:30pm, the Met
Police said the cordon would be scaled back to just Dean Street.
The German air force dropped thousands of bombs on the British capital during the war, killing tens of thousands of people.
Bombs left over from the conflict are still occasionally uncovered during construction work.
Soho was battered with bombs during the Blitz of 1940-41.
Two bombs fell on St Anne’s Church between Wardour Street and Dean Street on 24 September 1940, burning most of the building to the ground, but leaving its tower intact.
Old Compton Street and Wardour Street were the sites of bombings as the war neared its end.
London Fire Brigade said they has sent four fire engines and around 25 firefighters to the scene to support police.
Soho is home to some of Lonpolice don’s most popular bars, restaurants and theatres. Tourists were yesterday pushed back from the cordoned area and told to disperse.
Singer and author Tracey Thorn was forced to cancel a book signing schedule for the Groucho Club last night.
A company based on Dean Street, Little Black Book, tweeted: “Anyone trying to share news with LBB right now, the office has been evacuated along with half of Soho.”