A TERRIFYING home-made bomb blew out the windows of two elderly neighbours' homes.

The old women, who live next to each other in Heysham Crescent, Blackburn, were badly shaken after the explosion late on Saturday night.

Residents in Fairhaven Road raised the alarm and the women were evacuated from their homes amid fears of a gas blast.

Police found a home-made device in the back yard.

Kathleen Silverwood, 83, had already gone to bed in her bungalow when the blast went off.

She said: "I thought it was a firework at first, then I saw the police and firemen at the window. It has gone beyond a joke. When you're getting old it upsets you. This really frightened me." Mrs Silverwood's 71-year-old neighbour, who did not want to be named, was in her home with her 10-year-old granddaughter.

She said: "I heard a great big bang, and when I went into my bathroom I saw lots of glass on the floor. I opened the curtains and there was smoke coming through the window. I thought there had been a gas explosion. It was pandemonium.

"The people who did this are sick, and we keep being bothered by vandals round here. Whoever did this must have scooped the powder out of fireworks to make one big one. I think the parents are at fault as they don't take responsibility for their children."

Inspector Stephen Haworth, of Blackburn Police, said explosive powder had been use to make the device, which blew out two windows on the two adjoining bungalows when it exploded.

He said: "I'm appalled as this explosion caused an obvious danger to life, particularly when you consider the two victims are elderly. They were frightened out of their wits, and had they been in the wrong place at the wrong time they could have been seriously injured or killed. It may be that the people who made this device don't understand the power of explosives."

Station officer Tom Davies said: "I've never seen an explosion like this before. The elderly residents had a real shock."

Police took the device away for forensic examination. Anyone with information should contact Blackburn Police on 01254 51212.

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