Wembley Second World War bomb: Army detonates Nazi munition

The Army had warned of a "genuine risk to life" when the bomb was found

An army bomb disposal expert inspects an unexploded World War II bomb found in Wembley, north London, Thursday May 21, 2015. The 50-kilogram (110-pound) bomb was discovered by workers at a construction site near Wembley stadium. It is believed to have bee (Sergeant Rupert Frere of the Royal Logistic Corrps/MoD Crown Copyright via AP)

An unexploded WWII bomb, which caused the evacuation of the Britain’s Got Talent studios after it was found in north west London, has been safely detonated.

Builders working around 200m from Wembley stadium unearthed the 50kg device dropped by Nazi pilots, and called the police.

The Army had warned of a "genuine risk to life" as some 300 homes and businesses, including Fountain Studios, were evacuated, as officers attempted to defuse the device.

The bomb was removed from the site and safely detonated at a secret location by troops in the 11 Explosive Ordnance Disposal, in the Royal Logistics Corps, according to the Ministry of Defence.

An Army spokesman confirmed that the bomb was in a "potentially dangerous condition", and explained that even a controlled explosion had the potential to cause "significant damage to property" and "a genuine risk to life".

A Britain's Got Talent spokesman said: "We were just about to start our rehearsal and were trying to build the set when the building was evacuated.

"It has not been great, but it is not detrimental at this stage."

The MoD said in a statement that the device is understood to be a Two Sprengbombe-Cylindrisch bomb, which had lain undisturbed for 70 years.

"[The bomb] took a few knocks from mechanical diggers when it was unearthed yesterday," the ministry said.

Additional reporting by PA