A WOMAN has described how a crude home-made bomb dumped in her son's garden blew up in her face.

Mrs Murphy, 65, of Jarrow, South Tyneside, said last night: "I'm lucky to be alive.

"I went to my son's house to collect his washing and do some cleaning and I saw what looked like a tool box by the bin in the back garden.

"I opened it because I wanted to see what it was and what was inside. But as I went to unlock it, the box exploded."

"My legs caught the blast and they are really bruised."

"Luckily the box wasn't at head height as it would have made a real mess of my face. It could have been a lot worse."

Her son's home in Hill Crest, Jarrow, and surrounding houses were cordoned off for more than two hours as bomb disposal experts were called in, following the blast at 11.20am on Monday.

Mrs Murphy was taken to South Tyneside Hospital, where her right leg was bandaged. She was recovering last night with her husband John, 67.

She added: "We don't know how the box got there or why it was there.

It's all very distressing."

Insp Neil Grey said: "We don't know who the box belonged to. That is obviously part of the investigation."