Westfield Shopping Centre evacuated after unexploded World War II bomb found
Police cordoned off a 400m area around Westfield Shopping Centre after reports of an unexploded bomb on a building site in London
![Inside Westfields shopping centre in Shepherd's Bush, London near where suspected WWII bomb was found](https://static.independent.co.uk/s3fs-public/thumbnails/image/2015/07/08/13/westfields-shopping-centre.jpeg)
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Louise Thomas
Editor
Westfield Shopping Centre was evacuated after a World War Two bomb was reportedly found nearby.
Police, ambulance and fire brigade services were called to Shepherd's Bush at 10.41am to reports of an unexploded bomb.
The call came from a building site in Ariel Way, White City, after the unexploded ordnance was discovered.
The shell was approximately 13.5 inches in length and around six inches wide.
Shoppers and staff at Westfield, next to where the device was found, were evacuated and roads surrounding the area were cordoned off in an exclusion zone of 400 meters.
Police officers from Hammersmith and Fulham assisted with the evacuation of a number of premises close to the building site as a precaution.
Specialist officers removed the suspected bomb at 12.40pm for examination.
"The matter has now been stood down," a police statement said.
Local roads have been reopened but congestion in the area is likely for some time.
Shoppers and workers have now been allowed back into the buildings and the device is being examined by explosive specialists.
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