SHOCKED residents phoned the fire brigade fearing there had been an explosion after the wall of a first floor balcony crashed down.

But fire crews now believe youngsters were to blame for the damage and have blazted the culprits for putting lives at rist.

Bricks crashed on to the pavement below the flats, on Ballantrae Road, Shadsworth, Blackburn at around 9pm last night.

Fire crews, including the incident support unit from Accrington, were sent to the scene after initial fears that an explosion was responsible for the damage.

A spokesman for Blackburn fire station said: "It looks as though a gang of youngsters had been pulling on the railing above the wall on the first floor balcony until they gave way, bringing part of the wall they were attached to with them.

"It was a very dangerous thing to do.

"They could have seriously injured themselves or worse. The consequences for what could have happened to the people below could have been even worse."

Shops cover the ground floor of the building with two floors of properties above.

Azura Jackson, who lives in one of the flats in the building, said: "Children are always playing around here and it was only a matter of time before something like this happened.

"We thought a bomb had gone off or something."