Second World War bomb discovered in Kings Hill likely to be detonated tomorrow
15:51, 26 September 2019
updated: 09:30, 27 September 2019
A bomb found unearthed on a building site is likely to be exploded tomorrow.
A device, from the Second World War, was found on the new residential development on Warwick Way, Kings Hill, yesterday.
School in Kings Hill evacuated after unexploded WW2 bomb found nearby
The German SC50 Luftwaffe air dropped bomb was safely at around 8.15am today.
Kent Police has confirmed work will continue overnight and into the morning to make the area safe.
The area is owned by Clarion Housing Group and Latimer Developments are building homes on the plot.
It was found by a contractor at around 8.30am and emergency services were immediately called.
A cordon has been put in place blocking several roads in the area including Gibson Drive and Kings Hill Avenue.
Pupils and staff from the school gathered in the Asda car park nearby and the supermarket allowed children from a Bright Horizons Nursery to sit in their foyer while they waited for their parents to collect them.
Businesses on Kings Hill Avenue were forced to close as a result of the bomb.
Colas, a transport infrastructure company, was evacuated at around 11am when police officers knocked on the building and told them to leave.
Staff at On Watch Multi-Fire, which specialise in safety and security systems, was told to call police tomorrow morning to see if they can return to the premises, and the evacuation could last 24 hours.
Posting on social media, the gym chain, Infinity Fitness, informed its members that it had been asked to close and would reopen as soon as possible.
The community centre on Gibson Drive have confirmed on social media that the building will be closed tomorrow and would provide further updates when they were received.
Ch Insp Peter Steenhuis, District Commander for Tonbridge and Malling, said: "We understand the impact that closing Gibson Drive and evacuating of a number of buildings has on the local community, and do not take these steps lightly.
"I would like to thank businesses and residents for their understanding."
Daphne Berwick, 80, who lives in the Airfields Estate, said she doesn't like to think about the potential for other bombs otherwise she "would be worried all the time" and said she has come to expect more bombs to be found.
A resident of Pearl Way, Kings Hill, who did not wish to be named, said: "If my kids were at that school I would be really concerned.
"Maybe they need to start doing something about this now."
No homes were evacuated.
A wartime bomb was also found back in June, near Gibson Drive, Kings Hill.
A controlled explosion was used to detonate it safely.
The area was once home to a wartime airfield called RAF West Malling.
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