A MAN who plotted to blow up his mother's house with a home-made bomb has been spared jail.

Michael Tillotson, 26, was instead given three years supervision by a judge who said he was not a danger to the public.

Fifty people had to be evacuted after police discovered the device - made by filling a baby milk powder tin with fireworks, nails and screws - at the house shared by James Gibbons, 63, and Tillotson, his stepson, in Windermere Road, Huncoat.

The defendant's mother Carol Tillotson, 47, of Whitehead Street, Blackburn, later told the Lancashire Telegraph: "To have something like this planned against you by your family is terrible.

"I think Michael just got caught up in the situation and led astray and we have a very good relationship now."

Mrs Tillotson was in the public gallery at Burnley Crown Court to support her son on Friday and Judge Beverley Lunt said he was lucky to have her and should thank her for her being with him. Tillotson, of Rydal Close, Huncoat, had earlier admitted conspiracy to cause damage.

The court had earlier been told Mr Gibbons was in very poor health and was not being prosecuted.

Sentencing, Judge Lunt said Tillotson had a lot of problems but now had the suppport of his mother, a partner and the probation service. He also had work and was putting his life in order.

The judge continued: "Everything is starting to look good for you and I am not going to spoil that."

But the judge warned: "You don't want to meet me again because I would probably have to send you to prison."

The court had earlier been told how the bomb plot was discovered by police last June and the device could have caused serious injury and damage if it had gone off. Mark Lamberty, prosecuting, had told the court Tillotson lived with his stepfather at the time.

At 7.30am on June 7, the defendant rang his mother and said his stepfather had been making a bomb. Police were called and found the bomb, which took disposal experts two hours to make safe. Tillotson was found at a house nearby and was arrested.

Sergey Prokofiev, defending, said there had been a history of ill-feeling and bitterness relating to the breakdown of the relationship between the defendant's mother and stepfather. The defendant went back and forth between them and was in a fight not of his own making.

Mr Prokofiev said medical reports stated at the time Tillotson was depressed and possibly unable to cope with the pressure put on him. he said: "He has been assessed as suffering psychological trouble for the rest of his life."