Police hunting man after flats blown apart in huge explosion

Police are hunting for a man after an explosion at a block of flats in Lancashire.

Emergency services rushed to the scene of the incident on Tanfields in Skelmersdale at around 6.07pm on Tuesday (May 17). Responders found two flats completely blown apart with 'significant' damage.

Five people who were inside managed to get out the building safely before emergency services arrived and 15 people were evacuated from the area. None of them were seriously injured.

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A man later attended Ormskirk Hospital with burn injuries, police said. They are not life-threatening.

An investigation was launched into the cause of the explosion, which Lancashire Police said is being treated as 'unexplained'. Officers are keeping an 'open mind' about what happened.

In an update, the force confirmed that a 29-year-old man from Darlington has been arrested in connection with the incident. He is being questioned on suspicion of production of a class B drug and causing an explosive substance likely to endanger life or cause serious injury.

Detectives now want to speak to 40-year-old Robert Nolan, from Skelmersdale, as part of the investigation. They have released a picture of him and asked for anyone with information to come forward.

He is described as white, around 5ft 8ins tall, of slim build and speaking with a Liverpool accent. Police also want to speak to anyone who saw anything suspicious that day, or who captured any footage of any suspicious vehicles on CCTV, dash cam or on doorbell cameras.

DC Sean Reddington, of South CID, said: "This incident has caused significant damage to the properties and left a number of people displaced. Our investigation is