A device which was left in an alleyway and exploded was not believed to be an act of terrorism, say police. The blast happened in a ginnel between the rear of homes in Farnworth, Bolton.
It sent a wall of flame up above 17ft high fencing but the fire did not catch hold. GMP and the Army's Explosive Ordnance Disposal team (EOD) responded to the incident which residents say happened at 9.20pm on Sunday. It was in a backstreet off Longcauseway and no one was injured. No arrests have been made and tactical aid officers carried out a fingertip search today of the area which was cordoned off.
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In a statement to the Manchester Evening News, GMP said: "We cannot say what the device was at this stage. We remain open-minded about the motive at this stage but it is not currently being treated as terrorism. The device is still being examined. An area search has been completed and there will be additional patrols in the area to provide reassurance."
One couple have spoke of the “frightening” moment the explosion took place just behind the hedges at the back of their garden. Doreen and Tony Cowell, witnessed an “almighty fire” and “boom”.
The couple were standing in their garden at around 9.20pm last night feeding a hedgehog who visits them regularly, when they said they heard a “boom” and saw flames shoot up over their hedges - which stand at around 17 feet tall. They at first assumed it was a small explosion from a local chip shop - but were shocked to see police and forensics descend on the scene, on a small back road just off Lark Street, between Longcauseway and St Peter’s Terrace, this morning.
“There was a boom, and then the flames went up high above the bushes and it frightened us both to death. I’ve got to be honest, we’re not easily perturbed but we were frightened to death there. Then we saw these little embers coming off after the explosion", Tony told the Manchester Evening News.
They said the explosion was over in “less than a minute”, and with no smoke or obvious damage done to their garden, they went to bed puzzled. “We both looked at each other, and I said, ‘Tony, have we just imagined that?’” Doreen explained.
Tony woke up this morning to go to work, and found police and forensics searching for evidence at the scene. He asked if what had happened was an explosion, and was told he wasn’t “far off the mark”.
Other residents who spoke to the M.E.N. said they had not seen or heard anything when the explosion happened. “Nobody else will have seen it around here,” Doreen said. “It was around 9.20pm, I’d bet my life on it, and all the other houses down here all their front rooms are on the front of the house so they won’t see anything.
“We wouldn’t have even seen it if we weren’t out looking at the hedgehog. We would’ve heard the bang but we wouldn’t have thought much of it.” The couple said they were “quite shaken” last night, but have been even more so today following the police statement confirming that an explosion did take place.
“It is frightening to think that it was some kind of device,” Tony said. “I don’t know what it was doing, who had put it there, who'd set it off. It’s even more frightening due to the fact that people do walk up and down that street.
“It is a sobering thought, what has actually happened. That somebody could’ve planted something. It’s frightening to think that it is so close. What bothers me now is, obviously they’ll look into it, and it might be something as simple as kids messing around,” Doreen added.
“But in all seriousness, with what goes on in this world these days, where people do plant little bombs - was it a little bomb? And if so, who put it there? Will they be caught and what will come of it? We’ll probably never know.”
Other residents who spoke to the M.E.N did not witness the explosion, but were concerned. Mrs Reece, who lives only a few doors down from the scene, said police presence in the area is not unusual, but this seemed different. “Finding out that it’s an explosive is very frightening,” she said. “At this point when my little boy just asked if he could go out and play on his bike, I had to say not today.”
However, others seemed less shocked, with one resident saying: “It’s Farnworth, we’re used to it!”.
Detective Inspector Sarah Bell, of GMP's Bolton CID, said: "The EOD attended and made the device safe but confirmed it was a viable device.
"We are appealing for information, in particular can we ask that members of the public check CCTV and dashcam footage on Longcauseway and Moorhead Close."
Anyone with information should call police on 0161 856 5830 quoting incident 3194 of 01/05/2022. Information can also be reported online or by using the LiveChat function at www.gmp.police.uk. If you can't report online, call 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
