It's not everyday you see something like this.
British Navy bomb disposal experts have destroyed a massive German mine in the sea. The 1,500lb device was discovered on the seabed in The Solent.
The Solent is a strait that separates the Isle of Wight from mainland England.
The World War II ground mine was found by a crane barge on Thursday while removing debris from a site.
The bomb disposal team towed the device overnight to open waters about 1.5km off Bembridge at the Isle of Wight, where they carried out a controlled explosion at 10.45am this morning.
Petty Officer Richard Ellis was in charge of the six-man team.
"These mines were laid in their thousands during WWII but are rarely encountered these days - it's only the second one we have dealt with in three years. The other one was in the mouth of the Thames", he said.
"The mine was in quite good condition, and they were engineered to a very high standard which is probably why it has stayed safe all these years" he added.
The explosion created a plume about 300 metres high.
