A policeman and policewoman share the risky duty of manning a road block to keep people away from the danger area.

A two-man Army bomb disposal team, along with police officers, calmly drove about 21 lb of gelignite from Burnley's central area on Friday to explode it harmlessly on Rowley Tip. The drama lasted more than four hours, during which time the area affected - Blakey Street, Albert Street, and the immediate surrounding area - was cordoned off by police. Residents were warned to stay in rooms furthest away from the explosive, which was under a stairway in premises occupied by Industrial Building Development, at the rear of the Calder Water Board offices. A nearby shop, garage and the water board's offices were closed for safety reasons. Almost 25 women machinists employed by Harkington Overalls, who share the same building were ordered out. A spokesman for the firm said that gelignite used on demolition and building sites was normally stored in a steel container but it had been taken on a job, found surplus to requirements and stored under the stairs and would have been returned to the supplier.

Shortly after 10 a.m. an employee of Industrial Building Developments noticed the condition of the stick of gelignite and police were called in. An army sergeant and corporal from the bomb disposal squad at Liverpool arrived at 1.15 p.m. Accompanied by police Insp. A. Pickles, they gingerly placed the gelignite in the boot of their car, packed it in with rags, and drove slowly but steadily along Belvedere Road to the Rowley tip. The bomb disposal squad carried the explosive to a remote part of the tip and at 2.20 p.m. there was a violent explosion and a huge column of grey-black smoke rose as the gelignite was harmlessly exploded. A senior police official said that police are investigating the incident.