A NAIL bomb exploded in a quiet street — just metres from homes.

Police said it was ‘extremely fortunate’ that no one was hurt in the blast but the bomb had the potential to cause ‘serious injury’.

Neighbours heard a blast around 8.10pm on Wednesday in Shelfield Road, just off Pinfold Place in the Marsden area of Nelson.

Detectives are trying to establish whether the device was set off as a prank or if there were more sinister motives.

Det Supt Neil Hunter, of the force’s major incidents investigation team, said: “The nails have spread out in the immediate vicinity and if anyone had been close by then this could have been a much more serious incident.”

Police are trying to determine whether the small device had been brought from a nearby property or had been accidentally detonated, for example by falling out of a car.

Police sealed off the area from either side of Pinfold Place to Shelfield Road’s junction with Andrew Road.

Mr Hunter added: “We are in the early stages of this investigation but it is clear that this device had the potential to cause significant damage or serious injury and it is extremely fortunate that no-one was hurt.

“We are now trying to establish who is responsible for making this device and leaving it in the street. If this was a prank I would urge the person responsible to come forward.”

Resident Sally Marshall said: “It’s pretty scary to think about something like this happening where kids play. You don’t want to think who might have been hurt if anyone was around.”

One neighbour, who asked not to be named, added: “It was around 8pm when we heard a loud bang and we thought it was just a firework.”

Investigations continued until around 3am until officers left the area, according to neighbours.

House-to-house inquiries have also been conducted.

Shopkeeper Tahir Mahmood said he first noticed police were called to the area as he was closing his premises in Pinfold Place on Wednesday night.

He said: “This morning I got here around 10am and there was police everywhere and they cordoned off the whole road. Everyone has been talking about it.

“People thought someone had been killed or something like that because there was little information about what had happened. It’s usually so quiet around here.”

Witnesses are being asked to call police on the non-emergency number, 101, or Crimestoppers, in confidence, on 0800 555 111.