A World War 2 torpedo has been set off in a controlled explosion off the coast of Eastbourne this afternoon.
Experts from the Royal Navy Bomb Disposal Unit carried out the controlled explosion on the sea bed shortly after 3pm.
They were called to Eastbourne from Portsmouth after the Shoreham based scallop trawler Joanna C landed the 500lb bomb in its nets in the morning while off the coast of Beachy Head, roughly two miles (1.2km) south east of Sovereign Harbour, Eastbourne.
Lifeboat crews and coastguards are standing half a mile from the Joanna C fishing vessel which is currently three miles south east of Beachy Head.
The three fishermen on board were transferred from their vessel to the waiting Eastbourne Lifeboat the Diamond Jubilee while the four soldiers dropped the bomb over the side of the boat onto the sea bed before detonating it.
The incident is the third that Eastbourne’s lifeboats have been called to this morning.
Volunteer crew members were first called out at 6.22am after a collision between Dutch and French fishing vessels 17 miles off the coast of Eastbourne.
An hour later they were called to look for a Dutch vessel which had lost contact with both French and Dutch authorities but was located.
Via BBC Sussex Website & www.eastbourneherald.co.uk
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