A COUPLE had an amazing escape after burglars triggered an explosion in their home early on Saturday.

Neighbours were evacuated and homes left without water, electricity and gas after the blast.

And police believe the offenders could have been injured in a flash fire which followed the explosion.

Mr Paul Davenport (33) and his girlfriend, Denise Gleave (38), raised the alarm when they heard a huge explosion in their basement garage on The Crescent, Prestwich.

"At first we thought it was thunder," said Miss Gleave. "I had just brought the cats in and was getting ready for bed."

The couple ran out of the house to call for help after the blast cut off their telephone line.

"The smoke was really thick. We just ran outside. I went back in to get my cats but it was no use I could not find them," explained Miss Gleave.

One cat survived the blast but the other, Purdy, was killed.

"I am really upset. The insurance can replace the damage in the house but not the cat," said Miss Gleave. Firefighters believe the fire was caused by thieves trying to steal Mr Davenport's bikes. The motorbike enthusiast kept four machines in his garage.

It is thought the explosion happened after one of the raiders turned on the light. An electrical spark ignited petrol which had leaked onto the floor.

Firefighters took more than an hour to control the blaze which caused thousands of pounds worth of damage.

The four bikes, worth £20,000, were badly damaged. The entire ground floor of the house will have to be resurfaced.

"We are in complete shock," said Miss Gleave. "It is only now that we are realising the extent of the damage. It was an inferno in the cellar. We are just so lucky that we survived without any injuries."

Neighbours living either side of Mr Davenport, including two young girls aged nine and ten, had to be evacuated.

Mrs Fiona Hanbury, a neighbour, said: "A fireman had to break our door down to get us out. The girls are very distressed."

The explosion left the entire street without any water. Some homes were also without electricity and gas.

Anyone with information can ring Whitefield CID on 856 8248 or freephone CrimeStoppers on 0800 555 111.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.