A MAN has been charged with an explosives offence after police searched a County Durham farm.

Officers from the Cumbria force found theatrical flares and black powder at the farm near Waterhouse, a few miles from Durham City, on Monday.

The officers, who were investigating an unrelated offence, called in bomb disposal experts to check their find.

Durham Police have now charged a man in connection with the items.

One villager said last night: "The police were there from about 11.30am until 7pm or 8pm. There must have been about 20 of them.

"They closed the road off and were looking in the gardens. At about 4pm the bomb disposal squad van arrived. It was escorted from Durham with the lights going.

"Everyone in the village is talking about it but we can't find out what has happened. Everyone is mystified.''

A Durham Police spokesman said: "It is a joint investigation involving the Cumbria and Durham forces.

"Officers from Cumbria were investigating an allegation of criminal damage and harassment and they carried out a search of the premises.

"In the barn they found material that was later found to be theatrical flares and black powder, which we are describing as pyrotechnic items.

"The Bomb Squad was called in to make sure that the find, which is now in police safekeeping, was in fact safe."

Last night, police said that 48-year-old Robert Walker had been charged with an offence involving explosives and would appear before magistrates in Chester-le-Street this morning.