A TOWN centre car park was cordoned off after police discovered a car containing explosives above Blackburn shopping centre.

Police found the car containing two starting pistols and several "home-made pyrotechnic devices" after arresting a 29-year-old man, who police said was working at Woolworths store, Blackburn, yesterday afternoon.

A police spokesman said: "He was arrested on suspicion of possessing these devices. They are pyrotechnic or firework-like devices."

An army bomb disposal squad from Liverpool was called in at about 6.15pm to make the explosive devices and blank firing pistols safe.

Police cordoned off the area around the blue Ford Escort and Blackburn firefighters were called in on stand-by in case the army were forced to explode the devices.

Experts x-rayed the devices and managed to dismantle them without a controlled explosion.

A 29-year-old Darwen man was arrested and was due to be interviewed by police today. He is being held at Blackburn police station.

Police said several similar explosive devices had later been found at a house in Darwen.

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