THE Royal Navy’s bomb disposal team last week (March 19) safely detonated an unexploded WW2 mine off the Devon coast.

The mine, measuring 40 by 48 inches, was caught in a trawler’s nets while on its way into Brixham Harbour.

The Royal Navy’s Southern Diving Unit 2, based in HM Naval Base, Devonport, Plymouth, was tasked to investigate and make the ordnance safe away from the harbour.

The mine was lowered to the sea bed one mile off the harbour and an exclusion zone enforced before the mine was blown up safely by the divers using an explosive charge.

Petty Officer Diver Darren Carvell, dive unit duty operator, was in charge of the task.

He said: “This was a buoyant mine launched by ships from World War 2 to cause damage to Allied shipping.

"There was corrosion and damage to the mine, but despite that it remained a potential hazard to shipping and the trawler took the right action in alerting he authorities.

"The safest way of protecting people and shipping was to detonate the ordnance in a controlled way on the sea floor using an explosive charge. This went off safely.’’