Exeter bomb: Homes still damaged two months after blast

Two months after a World War Two bomb was detonated in Exeter properties are still in need of repair with some people unable to return to their homes.

The controlled explosion of a 2,200lb (1,000kg) German bomb in February blew apart doors and windows.

Care home manager Tracey Hibbard said ceilings were "hanging off" at the Dennyshill Care Home which still has holes in walls from the blast.

Thousands of residents were evacuated from the area for the detonation.

Ms Hibbard said part of the roof was covered with a tarpaulin.

Seven residents had to be moved out into a hotel, which the care home manager described as "traumatic".

She added: "When we were evacuated we had to get beds out because we had a lady that is on end of life care, she's on a ripple mattress, we've got three residents that are wheelchair-bound and we had to get them out.

"[It was] very traumatic. Traumatic for the residents, they've moved to The Buckerell hotel for a month, they were fine as they were with all of us.

"I don't know how we did it but we did. The staff were great."

Army bomb disposal experts destroyed the WW2 device in a 400-tonne "box" of sand just before 18:15 GMT on Saturday 27 February in an explosion heard up to five miles (8km) away.

The explosion also caused damage to properties on Copplestone Drive and the halls of residence belonging to the University of Exeter.

Ashley Leighton Plom lives close to the scene where the bomb was found and then blown up.

He was able to move back in but has now moved out again, so that repairs can be carried out on his property.

He says he expects the work to take several months.

On Monday part of the university's halls reopened to students returning for the summer term. Block F, however, is still undergoing repairs.

A University of Exeter spokesperson said managing the repairs and finding new accommodation for the students had been complex.

They added: "We would like to thank all the university staff who have worked extremely hard during the past two months to support students, and to make sure they can return to Birks Grange Village."

Questions have since been raised in parliament over the requirement for residents to claim on home insurance for repairs to their properties.

A spokesperson for the Home Office told the BBC the matter was being "looked into".

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