Evacuation after firework explosion

The blast caused significant damage to the entrance of the house

Homes in north Wales were evacuated on Monday after a firework explosion sent shards of glass flying through the air.

An army bomb squad was called to the area after the blast destroyed the glass panelling at a house in the Howard Road area of Llandudno at around 1415 GMT.

One woman was taken out through a back window of the property, and police said it was a miracle that no-one was injured.

They said the remnants of a commercially-available firework had been discovered in the flat, and that they were treating it as a criminal act.

Police, firefighters and ambulance crews rushed to the scene and the area was cordoned off for about an hour as bomb disposal experts investigated the cause of the blast.

Speaking from the scene, North Wales Police Inspector Meirion Casey said: "The consequences of what could have happened did not bear thinking about.

"We don't know at this stage if it was a prank, or if the house was deliberately targeted, but we are treating it as a criminal act."

Forensic and CID officers were in attendance to gather evidence.

Next-door neighbours Linda and Mike Clark arrived home soon after the explosion to find it had shattered the glass of their front door.

"There were police cars everywhere and everybody is in shock," Mr Clark said.

"We are dumbfounded by the whole thing."

Police said they needed to know how the firework got into the property and are appealing for witnesses.

The flat is close to the town's police station and the John Bright comprehensive school.

Pupils at the school were in lessons when they heard the explosion but no evacuation was necessary.

Police are treating it as an isolated incident.

They are appealing for anyone with information to contact them on 0845 607 1001 or 0845 607 1002.