Residents heard a loud explosion as the bomb squad were called in to deal with an unexploded WW2 device on Thursday afternoon.

The unexploded bomb dating back to the Second World War was discovered at a housing development in Cramlington, Northumberland earlier on Thursday (February 2).

Police closed Churston Gardens at the Bellway Arcot development shortly after 11am and called in a military bomb squad to deal with the device.

Read more: Man found guilty of 18-year-old Kieran Williams' manslaughter as co-accused acquitted

Residents reported being locked down in their homes with the street closed off as teams worked to dispose of the device.

The Northern Echo: A military team carried out a controlled explosion.A military team carried out a controlled explosion. (Image: DANIEL HORDON)

A ‘massive’ bang was heard at around 3pm, with residents more than two miles away reported having heard the explosion.

Joanne, a telecoms firm worker whose street was locked down, told The Northern Echo: “We were told by the police that they had found something. We’ve been inside most of the day.

“There was a massive explosion about half an hour ago [at about 3pm].

“We had to pass [the dog] Frank over the fence to the neighbours so he could get out for a walk.”

Police and military teams left the scene shortly after 3.30pm.

To get more stories direct to your email basket go here 

A Northumbria Police spokesperson said: “Shortly after 11am today we received a call about a suspected unexploded Second World War device located at an address on Churston Gardens, Cramlington.

The Northern Echo: Police closed a street while a military team attended the scene.Police closed a street while a military team attended the scene. (Image: DANIEL HORDON)

“Officers and bomb disposal experts attended the scene and the road was closed at while they worked to dispose of the item safely.”

A spokesperson for Bellway, the housebuilder who own the development, added: “Following the discovery of an unexploded device on Bellway’s Arcot Manor site in Cramlington, the police and subsequently, a military team were called to safely dispose of the device.

“The safety of our residents, staff, contractors and the wider community remains our priority and we have worked with the emergency service to ensure the safety of everyone involved.”

Read next:

If you want to read more great stories and support our journalism, why not subscribe to your Northern Echo? You can currently get unlimited access with a digital subscription for £3 for three months. Click here