LIVING on the doorstep of a chemical plant is worrying, but when residents heard the Billingham explosion many feared the worst.

"The house was shaking", "The windows rattled" and "I thought it was the end of the world" were just some of the reactions from people living on the doorstep of the Terra Nitrogen plant.

Keith Stewart, 28, was watching tv in his bedroom when a blaring bang made him run to the window.

"I just saw bright lights beam into my room and when I looked outside, it was like football pitch floodlights had lit everything up. The whole view from my window was just orange and I could see flashing lights.

"The explosion was like thunder, it rumbled for a few seconds and then the house was shaking. It was like a really big lorry was going past the house."

Despite her son watching the commotion from the next bedroom, Anne Stewart didn't hear a thing.

The family home, on Mill Lane, overlooks the chemical plant.

The 54-year-old mother-of-seven said: "I must have been in a real deep sleep. The first thing I knew about it was when my sister-in-law rang from Carnoustie in Scotland.

"She said she saw it on the news and rang to see if we were ok. She couldn't believe I slept through it."

Jane Clark, 35, a cafe assistant, from South View, said: "There was a big woosh sound and I jumped out of bed and ran to the window.

"I honestly thought it was a bomb and it looked like there was about 13 fire engines lined up and police cars all over.

"It seemed to get louder and louder and died down again but then properly started up.

"The initial bang was unbelievable. The house shook. I thought it was the end of the world, I swear to god."