A HOAXER with a grudge is being hunted after a second bomb threat at Darwen's India Mill in two days.

Up to 100 staff had to be evacuated from the Capita call centre when a phone call at 9.40am yesterday said a bomb was in the building.

The call came just 16 hours after the first threat, at about 5.20pm on Monday, when staff were forced to stop work for two hours.

Police were today speaking to managers at the Bolton Road company to find out who had been sacked recently and might have a grudge against the firm.

Insp Mick Laraway said: "The two calls are obviously connected. There was no device found either time.

"The calls do not come from a terrorist organisation, which makes us think that it is somebody connected with the mill.

"One line of inquiry is whether someone has been recently sacked and may have a problem with the firm.

And we will also be taking to all of the staff to see if anyone knows of someone who holds a personal grudge against an individual employee.

"

Police said they could not rule out another call over the next few days but warned they would be focusing their inquiry at the Mill.

Insp Laraway added: "This has wasted a lot of police time and is being taken very seriously."

Both phone calls were also due to be examined using electronic equipment to try to identify the hoaxer and where the calls were made from.

The contact centre employs around 400 full and part-time staff. It is run by the Capita Group and deals with TV licensing customer inquires and transactions on behalf of the BBC.

The firm today refused to comment. A spokesman said it was company policy not to comment on bomb threats.