MYSTERIOUS bangs coming from a wood in Worcester have left people fearing a terrorist explosion has happened in the city.

The continued explosions, said to be too loud to be fireworks, have already been blamed for the loss of a dog which bolted in terror when it heard one of the bangs.

And families say their children, already spooked by recent terrorist attacks in Manchester and London, have been left fearful by the loud explosions.

The bangs have been heard coming from Perry Wood which backs onto a number of residential streets, including Liverpool Road in Ronkswood and Redfern Avenue.

Now local people, who have reported the explosions to police, are demanding answers after the explosions carried on over a period of nearly two weeks, usually between 2pm and 8pm. The Worcester News understands that some of the explosions have been loud enough to rattle the windows of nearby houses, scaring animals and children.

A woman who lives nearby and who declined to be named said the explosion were as loud as a crow scarer and had been heard over the rumble of heavy machinery.

“Children have been asking if Isis are coming. I felt the explosion in the pit of my stomach” she said. She said it was ‘ridiculous’ after recent terrorist attacks that people would think about setting off explosions. She added: “For the past few weeks, some idiots have been letting off explosions in the Perry Wood area, most probably in the woods themselves.”

She said one neighbours saw a flare then an explosion on Sunday. Two more explosions followed on Monday evening, one at 8pm and the next at 8.25pm, both reported to the police. She said: “With police resources limited and families extremely worried, we need to find out who these idiots are and put a stop to it, animals and children are fretting.”

One bang was so loud that five-year-old Border Collie Cody scrambled over a 5ft wall and down a 20ft bank at Heron Lodge, Worcester near Silverdale Avenue on Thursday, June 1, and hasn’t been heard of since.

Sarah Cronin of Silverdale Avenue, Worcester, says she and daughter, 12-year-old Ciara Cronin-Brown, have been left devastated by the loss of the dog.

She said: “Cody is very much a family member. We are still keeping our fingers crossed and hoping for the best.”

Sightings of a dog which may be Cody have been reported in Kington and at Lyonshall, both in Herefordshire, west of Leominster. He is chipped and has a collar with a tag that has his contact details on it. Anyone with any information can contact his owners 07885989365.

A spokesperson for West Mercia Police said: “We have received reports of loud bangs being heard in the area around Perry Woods between June 1 and June 12.

“Police attended and found nothing suspicious in the area but officers from Battenhall and Nunnery Safer Neighbourhood Team are continuing to carry out enquiries as to the cause of these loud bangs.” Anyone with information is urged to call police on 101, quoting incident number 730s of 12 June.