Metal thief on the run after Bradford house explosion

A suspected thief is at large after four people were injured following an explosion at a house he targeted, police have said.

The explosion took place at the empty house on Southfield Lane, Bradford, at about 22:00 BST on Saturday, but two neighbouring properties were also damaged and a man, woman and child were treated for minor injuries.

A 27-year-old man, who was found seriously injured near the scene, has been arrested on suspicion of theft and West Yorkshire Police are also seeking Jacob Ryan, 28.

A force spokesperson said: “It is possible Jacob Ryan may have been injured as well and we urge him or anyone who knows him to come forward.”

They added: “It is important we make sure he has access to any medical treatment he may need.”

Officers also said the men were attempting to steal metal from the unoccupied terraced property.

The arrested man’s injuries were said to be serious but not life-threatening and he was treated at hospital.

Fire and ambulance services also attended the “significantly damaged” building, as well as the two adjacent properties.

Neighbour Paula Newsome heard the explosion as she was getting ready for bed at about 22:00.

She said: “I was aiming to get a nice early night and sat there trying to relax and boom. And not just a bang, it was a boom.

“It shook the entire house. It felt like something had run into us. It was shocking. The pets were terrified, I was shaking, and I really didn’t know what had happened.”

She said neighbours gathered in the street to see what was going on.

“I went down and walked around the corner and I saw this unbelievable site. There was just a hole where this house used to be. Most of the building was at the opposite side of the road.

“There were so many emergency services here it was untrue.”

Ms Newsome said it wasn’t until 01:00 this morning that she felt she had calmed enough to go to bed, but when she went to lie down she saw the explosion had caused debris to fall from her roof.

“My bedroom is in the loft and when I got upstairs – when I finally stopped shaking enough to go to sleep – there was dust and bits that had fallen off the ceiling on the pillows.

“I checked around and there seems to be a bit of a crack in the plaster but I think it’s just superficial.”

The force said the affected property was made safe with the assistance of utilities companies.

Supt Lucy Leadbeater, from Bradford District Police, said: “A number of enquiries remain ongoing into this serious incident today.”

She added: “While the cause of the explosion at this empty property remains under investigation, we are investigating reports of a metal theft taking place there just prior to the incident.”

West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service confirmed a technical rescue unit with dogs carried out further searches after the casualties were treated to ensure there were no persons unaccounted for.