World War II shell which sparked London Eye evacuation removed from River Thames

Evacuation: A police car parked near to the London Eye as bystanders look on
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Rachel Dickerson26 June 2017

A suspicious device that caused tourists to be evacuated from the London Eye turned out to be an empty Second World War shell.

The wheel was shut down on Sunday after the old casing was spotted protruding from the Thames foreshore mud by a member of the public.

Westminster Pier was evacuated and cordons set up around Waterloo as police boats and bomb disposal teams raced to the scene at 10.30am.

People living in nearby apartments said they were warned to prepare for evacuation from their homes if the shell turned out to be live.

Emergency services at the scene near the London Eye
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Bomb disposal specialists declared the area safe after returning to the South Bank at low tide for a second examination.

They found no explosives and removed the casing.

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