Heavy traffic and bus delays in Leeds city centre after Crown Point Bridge closed due to Boer War bomb

Traffic is building up in Leeds city centre with delays expected following an earlier closure of Crown Point Bridge.
By Corinne Macdonald
Published 29th Mar 2019, 16:44 BST
Updated 29th Mar 2019, 16:53 BST
Left: The magnet fisherman who found the mortar. Right: The Boer War bomb.Left: The magnet fisherman who found the mortar. Right: The Boer War bomb.
Left: The magnet fisherman who found the mortar. Right: The Boer War bomb.

The bridge was closed for several hours after a live Boer War bomb was found by magnet fishers in the River Aire this morning (Friday).

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Though the bridge has now reopened, rush hour traffic continues to cause delays to bus service.

The bomb was driven away in a wagon, covered in sandbags.The bomb was driven away in a wagon, covered in sandbags.
The bomb was driven away in a wagon, covered in sandbags.
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First West Yorkshire have said there are delays of up to 35 minutes to most city centre services.

They said: "Major congestion in Leeds City Centre due to Crown Point Bridge closure and PM Peak time traffic .

"Delays over 35 minutes to most city centre services."

Metro Travel News tweeted: "Crown Point Bridge has now re-opened. There are still delays to buses through Leeds due to this evening's rush hour traffic."

They added: "Delays to Arriva Yorkshire service 229 due to congestion in Leeds City Centre and an earlier RTC in Mirfield."

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Leeds Travel Info said: "A653 Crown Point Bridge has now re-opened to traffic in both directions.

"Some residual delays in the area."

The 18lb mortar was found by Dave Pearce, a magnet fisherman from Roundhay who was fishing under Crown Point Bridge in Leeds on Friday, March 29.

Police were called shortly after 11am and Crown Point Bridge and the stretch of canal underneath it, where the bomb was, were cordoned off.

The bomb squad arrived at around 2.30pm and identified the device as a live Boer War mortar.

It was then driven away from the scene by bomb disposal experts before being disarmed in a controlled explosion in East End Park.