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Railway closed after WW2 bomb found at Barrhead building site

BBC Springfauld WayBBC
Police set up a cordon at Springfauld Way near Springfield Road

An unexploded World War 2 bomb has been found in East Renfrewshire, prompting the closure of a railway line.

Police were called to a Taylor Wimpey construction site on Springfield Road, Barrhead - where new houses are being built - at about 10:00.

The railway line between Neilston and Muirend, near the site, was closed until 18:00, Network Rail said.

Police Scotland said the Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team had been contacted and the road had been closed.

The BBC understands the bomb had been dropped from a plane during World War Two and is around the size of a fire extinguisher.

The line between Neilston and Muirend is not expected to reopen until 18:00
The line between Neilston and Muirend was closed until 18:00

The large construction site has a number of unoccupied houses, but properties at one end of the site which are occupied have not been evacuated.

Taylor Wimpey said the bomb was found by groundworkers at the construction site.

A spokesperson said: "The Ministry of Defence were called to carry out a controlled explosion to safely remove the ordnance from the site.

"Our first priority is the safety of our employees and subcontractors, as well as the general public in the surrounding area.

"Following advice from the police, MOD and a specialist consultant, appropriate safety measures were put in place to allow them to deal with the unexploded ordnance safely and work has been cleared to resume on site."