Explosion in Lattimore Road, St Albans

7:14pm Saturday 8th November 2008

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STRANDED residents evacuated following an explosion in Lattimore Road this morning have been allowed to return to their homes.

Police conducted an emergency evacuation of Lattimore Road, Alma Road, Alexandra Road and Victoria Street following the explosion at 11am this morning. Some residents have not been allowed to return to their homes since midday today.

It is believed the blast occurred in a dustbin outside an address in Lattimore Road, but police have not yet revealed the source of the explosion.

Many residents including families with young children and babies escaped the rain by sheltering at The Glasshouse at the junction of Lattimore Road and Victoria Street.

Andrew Curley of Lattimore Road, said: "I was in the house when the first bang went off. It sounded like it was from a building site, like something really heavy had been dropped.

"Everyone came out on the street, but we couldn't see anything.

"About five minutes later fire engines and police cars turned up.

"They all started looking around to see what it was - nobody knew what it was.

"It was about half-an-hour later that they found something.

"They told us they had found a dustbin that had been blown apart."

Mr Curley, his wife, three-year-old daughter and five-month-old baby spent the afternoon shopping, but were given the all clear to return home just after 6pm this evening.

A bomb disposal team and police remain at the scene.