WHEN a tremendous explosion ripped through the still night air and a fireball turned darkness into daylight, residents in Billingham feared the worst.

Keith Stewart, 28, was watching television in his bedroom near the Terra Nitrogen plant when a huge bang made him run to the window.

He said: "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.

"I was a little bit worried, but I thought if it was serious the police would have evacuated everyone. So I just stood and watched.

"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 did not hear a thing and slept right through the blast.

The family home, in 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 okay. She could not believe I slept through it."

Lesley Nicholson, 55, from Roscoe Road, said: "I was awake laid in bed when I heard this big bang.

"My son, Jack, screamed for me to go into his room at the back of the house, which overlooks the plant.

"I was really annoyed that the police or fire brigade did not come and let people know what was happening.

"We had no idea how serious it was or if we were in danger. There are normally sirens, but last night there was nothing.

"All the police had to do was send someone around the streets close to it and say 'Don't worry, it's under control'.

"It was like a roar of thunder, and when you are just 400 yards away, that's a big bang."

Jane Clark, 35, a cafe assistant, from South View, said: "There was a big whoosh 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."

Mechanic Mark Sanderson, 27, from Billingham, said: "There was a massive fireball going into the sky and the windows shook.

"It sounded like a bomb going off. I didn't know what to think. It was really quite worrying."

Peter Honeyman, 28, from Middlesbrough, was driving home from a night out in Hartlepool when he saw the blast.

He said: "It sounded like the world had ended. There was a big loud bang and then a flash. It lit the sky up."

Michelle Johnson, 23, darted from her neighbour's house to see what the noise was.

She said: "We see the plant when we walk out of our front door, so when we heard this bang, we ran straight outside.

"There were just orange flames in the sky, it was really scary."