German mine washed up on beach is detonated in front of holidaymakers

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Authorities set up a one-mile exclusion zone around the device after it was spotted in mud by a fisherman on Thursday.

The 10ft-long, 26in-wide mine, dropped by a German aircraft, was due to be detonated on Friday night but technical difficulties delayed the operation.

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Thar she blows: A WW2 mine explodes on Stert Island in Bridgwater Bay, Somerset

A crowd lined the esplanade at nearby Burnham-on-Sea to watch the mine explode on Stert Island in Bridgwater Bay, Somerset.

Mark Newman, who runs a community website, witnessed it.

He said: "It will be talked about for years to come. We saw a huge plume of water gush into the air, which was followed by a loud bang and 'oohs' and 'ahhs' from the crowd."

The bay is home to 190 species of birds and sites of historical interest, including 12th Century fish weirs.

Dr Helen Phillips, chief executive of the environmental public body Natural England, said: "The area provides important feeding grounds and roosting sites for wintering waterfowl and waders."