A1,000lb BOMB which had lain undiscovered in the Mersey since the Blitz was last night safely detonated by the Royal Navy eight miles off the coast of Ainsdale.
The discovery of the device, lying on the river bed above the course of the Wallasey Tunnel, led to transport chaos yesterday as cross-river services were badly affected.
The only evidence the bomb had gone off was a 50ft plume of water and a bang that could just be heard from ashore.
Crowds gathered around the Coastguard building on Crosby beach in the hope of seeing the drama taking place at sea.
Commander Chris Davies, who co-ordinated the RN aspect of the operation, last night said: "People might not have been able to see or hear much, but they should not under-estimate the potential danger and the complexity of the operation.
"If the bomb had exploded where it was found, it could have led to injury and loss of life and significant damage.
"The bomb was designed to cause devastation. The explosives in the device were still in working order. The water would have cushioned the blow, but it couldn't be taken lightly."
A controlled explosion of the bomb had originally been expected around 2pm and later at 5pm, but finally took place at 9pm.
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