LONDON - British police say the hotly contested annual Oxford-Cambridge boat race will proceed as planned after they removed an unexploded World War II-era bomb near the start of the race on the River Thames.

The bomb was discovered by a member of the public near Putney Bridge in southwest London, just meters from the starting line of the famous race that pits rowers from Cambridge University against those from Oxford University.

Police say the ordinance was found submerged on the Chelsea shoreline Saturday. The marine policing unit removed it.

Chief Inspector Tracy Stephenson says "I'm very happy to update that the ordnance has now been safely removed and the race will be going ahead as planned."