A FAMILY of ten today told how they feared their Burnley home would explode at any moment after sparking a World War Two bomb alert.

The drama in Colne Road began on Friday at 11.30pm just after most of the Bracewell family had gone to bed leaving sons Matthew, 24, David, 29, and Christopher, 20, downstairs in the living room.

Matthew had a collection of World War Two memorabilia, including four tank shells and ammunition, which he believed had been discharged.

But when his brother Christopher pulled the ring on the side of one of the canisters there was a loud bang and the house quickly filled with smoke.

Mum Sharon, 48, who had been celebrating her birthday hours earlier, said: "It sounded like my Aga had exploded.

"We were upstairs with the grandchildren and the fire brigade told us to stay put and put cloths under the door and wait for them to rescue us.

"The police came and were suspicious about one of the shells. I was out in the car, while they looked at it in the living room, thinking 'Any second now. my front window's going to blow out'.

"It could have been so much worse. That canister could have contained anything. The stuff must have been lingering in there for donkey's years. Talk about celebrations going with a bang."

Sharon shares the house with husband Graham, her six children and two grandchildren. They were kept outside for three hours while firefighters cleared the smoke.

David and Christopher were taken to Burnley General Hospital but left in the early hours of Saturday when test results showed they had not breathed in anything dangerous.