AN EYEWITNESS has described seeing a van explode in front of his eyes.

The eyewitness was in the market place, Wolsingham, County Durham, just before 7am today.

He said: "I saw a van coming down the road, when all of a sudden it just totally blew up.

"There was nothing left of it. As it was before 7am there was nobody else about."

Other people described how their windows and doors were blown in.

One woman, who lives on Front Street, just yards from the explosion, said: "It was all very scary, things like this don't normally happen in Wolsingham were everybody knows each other.

"I heard the second explosion, it shook the whole house.

"I got up and went into the street and saw a huge gush of fire coming from an explosion up into the air.

"Our neighbours were coming out into the street, it was like a scene from the Second World War.

"The ambulance and fire service arrived straight away, everyone was really worried.

"About seven houses on the street had their windows and doors blown out.

"The church down the street also had its windows blown out, it looked very eerie.

"I have been told by police to stay at my family's house."

A man who lives on Front Street with his wife and 17-year-old son said: "I thought there was an earthquake then I realised they don't happen in Wolsingham.

"The explosion woke us all up immediately, all the front windows of our house had been blown through, but luckily nobody was hurt."