Detectives in Worcestershire questioning 20-year-old suspected of having explosive say case is not being linked to terrorism

This article is more than 3 years old

This article is more than 3 years old

A 20-year-old man is being questioned by police after an explosion in a Worcestershire town led to homes being evacuated.

Police said on Tuesday that the blast was not being linked to terrorism but was a suspected case of “misadventure, albeit with a criminal element”. Nobody was hurt and no damage caused.

The explosion took place in Pound Bank Road in the spa town at about 9.50pm on Monday. Police entered a house in nearby Langland Avenue, a street of red-brick houses, where they discovered a suspicious substance.

A cordon was put in place and homes evacuated as explosives experts investigated the scene.

The arrested man, who is from Malvern, was detained on suspicion of possessing an explosive substance.

On Tuesday, Supt Kevin Purcell, policing commander for South Worcestershire, said: “Throughout the night investigations have been ongoing to establish exactly what occurred and what level of threat there was to our communities.”

He added: “Initially we did not know what we were dealing with so we took every necessary precaution. The cordon has now been lifted and people have been allowed to return to their homes.However, a scene guard remains in place. I’d like to thank the community for their vigilance and their patience and support while we managed the incident.”