DETECTIVES have been investigating two suspicious powder scares in three days after mysterious substances were discovered in neighbouring districts.

A package containing a unknown substance was forced through a house letter box in Sumner Avenue, Ainsworth, on Sunday.

The scare led to 77-year-old Peggy Darbyshire and a police officer being taken to hospital for treatment.

Two men, aged 21 and 24, from the Radcliffe area were arrested in connection with the incident and later bailed and an investigation into the circumstances of the incident is under way.

And residents on Somerton Road, Breightmet, called police when a strange white powder was pushed through a window and fell on to an inside ledge on Tuesday morning.

A car parked further down the road was also found covered in the same substance. Despite the close proximity of the incidents, police say the two powder scares are not related.

After the first scare, officers were called to the house in Ainsworth after the pensioner complained of feeling unwell. Both the woman and the police officer were later discharged from hospital safe and well.

Mrs Darbyshire said the yellow powder was first put through her door around three weeks ago and continued for around five nights before she blocked off her letter box.

She started to suffer nausea, headaches, breathlessness and dizziness but did not immediately link the symptoms to the powder.

She phoned police on Sunday morning and officers sealed off the house before fire crews in chemical suits cleared the powder away and took samples for tests, which proved inconclusive.

Paramedics gave Mrs Darbyshire and the police officer oxygen therapy and they were taken to hospital.

Mrs Darbyshire blamed the spate of powder attacks on local youngsters and said she had been forced to ask the council to rehome her.

"I've been forced out of my house after six years," she said. "I've suffered nothing but trouble.

"I've had threats, kids banging on the door and running away and now this.

"I knew they were coming up to the door and doing something but it wasn't for a few days that I realised what it was.

"I felt terrible for about 10 days before I phoned the police and had to stay in hospital overnight."

DC Tony Hough, from Whitefield Police, said: "These attacks have been happening over a period of three to four weeks against this lady.

"The powder is now being sent off for forensic examination."

Firefighters and police were called to a house in Breightmet at 9.30am on Tuesday after reports that suspicious white powder had been thrown through a house window.

The owners alerted the emergency services when they spotted the substance on an inside window sill.

On analysis, the substance was found to be unharmful and was dismissed as scouring powder.

The hoax is being blamed on youths who neighbours say were seen congregating in the area the night before.

Station officer Ian Duckworth, from Bolton Central, said: "We had to check that the powder wasn't something dangerous like ricin. But it looks like it could have just been kids messing about."