UK ferry passengers stranded by unexploded bomb

London, May 16: Around 250 passengers and crew were stranded on ferries in the River Mersey in northern England today after a huge unexploded bomb was spotted, the UK coastguard said.

The 500 pound bomb, dating from World War Two, was found by the British Royal Navy near Twelve Quays in Liverpool shortly before midnight yesterday.

Two ferries, the Mersey Viking and Dublin Viking, bringing passengers from Belfast and Dublin across the Irish Sea, were forced to remain at sea while the explosive was dealt with, the coastguard said.

One of the ferries had been stuck since before 4 am, a spokesman said.

The device was also only 300 metres from a road tunnel linking Liverpool to Birkenhead under the Mersey. The tunnel was closed by police whilst the bomb was being dealt with.

The coastguard spokesman said the Navy were slowly towing the bomb out to deeper water in the Irish Sea where it will be lowered to the sea bed and a diver will prepare it for a safe detonation.

''Our priority is to assist the Navy and dispose of this device in a safe and timely manner so normal operations can resume,'' Liverpool Coastguard Watch Manager Steve Cross said in a statement.

REUTERS