POLICE have drawn a veil of secrecy over the identity of a Lytham charity shop which received a bomb in the post this week, thought to have been sent by an animal rights protest group.

Lancashire Police said that on January 30 a "charity organisation" in the town discovered a suspect package in their mail. Although the device was potentially lethal, it did not explode and no-one was injured.

But Lytham had a lucky escape because the very next day another package, believed to be a nail bomb, exploded after being delivered to a British Heart Foundation shop in Penrith. The woman, in her mid 20s, who opened it was badly shaken but uninjured.

It is widely believed the shop targeted in Lytham was the Cancer Research Campaign shop in Market Square, but police would not confirm this.

Jo Andrews, the manageress of the shop, said: "I can categorically state, hand on heart, that we did not receive a suspect package. We have had scares in the past because the charity does fund animal research."

And North West press officer for the charity Mike Davis added: "I am positive that it was not our store in Lytham that was targeted by this attack."

When The Citizen spoke to workers in other shops they remained tight-lipped. Many said they had heard on the grapevine that it was the Cancer Research Campaign shop. They said workers in other shops had been advised by police to deny they were targeted.

Workers in the Sue Ryder shop and Age Concern said they had not received any suspect packages, and a lady in Oxfam even admitted she knew which shop it was but would not say. Staff at The Imperial Cancer Research and the British Heart Foundation shops in St Annes said they hadn't received packages, as did a worker in Oxfam, Blackpool.

But the Press Association, a major source of news in this country, and a number of national newspapers also reported that the letter bomb was sent to the "Cancer Research Campaign Shop in Lytham St Annes".

The investigation into the series of attacks is being spearheaded by North Yorkshire Police.

Deputy Chief Constable Peter Walker said there had now been ten attacks since mid-December including ones on an agricultural supplier, a pest control business, a farm and a pet shop supplier. Although no-one has claimed responsibility for the attacks they are strongly believed to be the work of animal rights extremists.

Mr Walker said: "Yet again we have indiscriminate attacks on law abiding people going about their daily business. How volunteers working for charity can be viewed as a legitimate target in a bombing campaign is beyond me.

"We at North Yorkshire Police are leading the investigation in close contact with Lancashire Constabulary and other forces."

Blackpool Police have issued a warning to anyone who sees anything suspicious either in the mail or elsewhere to take extreme care and contact them immediately on (01253) 293933 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.