EASTER weekend could be ruined for up to 200 boat owners by plans to remove Second World War bombs from a Hampshire marina.

Sailors at Haslar Marina in Gosport will be forced to stay on dry land during daylight hours over the busy Bank Holiday weekend when an exclusion zone is placed around military base Fort Blockhouse.

Around a third of yachts in the marina will be affected by the bomb clearing, due to take place between 6am and 6pm between April 10 and 13.

Of these, 30 yachts fall inside the 885ft exclusion zone and owners will be denied access completely.

Marina spokeswoman Helen Bramah said they asked the MoD for the work to be delayed but their request was refused.

She said: “We have done everything we can on behalf of our berth holders to get the date changed and the MoD obviously have their reasons for doing the work then.

“From our point of view it is bad timing as Easter Weekend tends to be busy.

“We will just have to work around it.

“An exclusion zone has been put in place around Fort Blockhouse which contains 30 boats.

“A further 200 will be affected but they will be able to leave the marina outside the exclusion times.”

The MoD is carrying out the work after discovering a note saying bombs were planted there but no record of them being removed.

Buried explosives The explosives were buried to blow up the road to the base stopping German vehicles taking the fort if they successfully invaded.

Ms Bramah added that boats visiting the marina over the weekend will not be affected by the bomb removal.

She said: “It is causing disruption but the marina is still open.

“Only about a third of the marina will be affected, which does not include our visitor berths.

“For many it will be like any normal weekend.”