UPDATE: Work continues to safely remove World War II ordnance

Latest as of 19:30hrs on Monday, 12 February:

Police continue to work with Royal Navy partners to safely remove and dispose of World War II ordnance that was discovered in the River Thames at King George V Dock, E16, in the early hours of Sunday, 11 February.

The device was examined by Met and Royal Navy dive teams and confirmed as a 500kg tapered end shell measuring approximately 1.5m.

The device has been removed from its original position and taken to a secondary location within the dock.

Residents displaced by the initial operation today can now return to their homes.

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Police continue to work with Royal Navy partners to safely remove a World War II ordnance discovered in the River Thames at George V Dock, E16, in the early hours of Sunday, 11 February.

The device has been examined by Met Police and Royal Navy dive teams and is confirmed as being a 500kg tapered end shell measuring approximately 1.5m.

It is lying in a bed of dense silt and the first stage of the removal operation is to free the shell from the silt so that it can be floated for removal.

The operation to remove the ordnance is ongoing in partnership with our colleagues in the Royal Navy. The timing of removal is dependant on the tides, however, at this stage we estimate that the removal of the device from location will be completed by tomorrow morning.

While every effort is being made to progress the operation as quickly as possible, it is important that all of the necessary steps and precautions are taken to ensure it is dealt with safely.

We would like to thank everyone affected for their patience and cooperation. Every effort is being made to minimise disruption and officers continue to go door to door to ensure that those living within the exclusion zone are aware of the safety arrangements in place.