Police chiefs have confirmed that an unexploded World War II bomb discovered in a Wembley car park will be moved to a secure location to be detonated today, meaning weekend sports fixtures at nearby Wembley stadium will be unaffected.

Chief Superintendent Mick Gallagher, borough commander of Brent Police, said: “It is not the intention to detonate the bomb next to Wembley stadium. Arrangements have been made to take the bomb to a detonation site outside of London.”

The police chief, who is overseeing the detonation of the 50kg device uncovered by builders on a construction site yesterday afternoon said the bomb, when exploded, is “capable of reaching heights of 1100 feet so it does pose a real threat.”

Ch. Supt Gallagher was unable to give an exact time scale for this afternoon’s removal of the Luftwaffe device, thought to have been dropped during a 1941 German bombing raid, but added: “It is a poignant reminder seventy years on of what previous generations had to cope with on a daily basis.”

Football playoffs scheduled to take place at Wembley Stadium this weekend including Southend vs. Wycombe wanderers on Saturday and Preston North End vs.Swindon Town on Sunday are set to go ahead as planned.