'Time bomb' claim following blast

One resident near the scene of an explosion at a chemical plant claimed they were living on a "time bomb".

The blast happened on a pipe at the Terra Nitrogen (UK) Limited plant in Billingham, Teesside, in the early hours of Thursday.

John Jackson, from High Clarence, near Billingham, lives just a few miles from the site and said he heard the explosion as he went to bed.

A spokesman for the company said there had been no danger to the public.

Mr Jackson, 62, and his wife Carol, also live close to a series of oil refineries at Seal Sands.

He said: "We're living on a time bomb here and we are stuck right in the middle of it."

Regular exercises

But Mrs Jackson said: "We're not going to move. We've got the grandkids round here. You're only going to get killed once.

"If it is going to happen, it is going to happen. At least we'll all go together."

Terra Nitrogen has started an investigation into the cause of the explosion. A spokesman said at no stage was there any danger to the public.

The Health and Safety Executive and Environment Agency have also started an investigation.

Earlier Supt Ian Richards from Cleveland Police said the situation had been brought under control in a relatively short period of time.

He said emergency services and the petrochemical industry in the area regularly held exercises to ensure such incidents were dealt with effectively and their expertise was recognised nationally.