DARLINGTON residents have described feeling their houses shake after thieves used explosives to blast open a cash machine on Neasham Road in the early hours of Thursday morning.

Resident Harry Chown, 28, said he was woken at around 1am by a "violent explosion which shook my house".

He added: "It looks like thieves have gone overkill on explosives whilst trying to blow open a standalone ATM.

"It's been obliterated and flattened trees and signs and scattered debris everywhere. Social media suggests people two miles away heard it which explains why my house shook so violently only 150m away."

Mr Chown said the explosion had "shoved" the kiosk containing the ATM "10 metres along the carpark".

Locals wrote on social media that they had felt the blast at the store.

Kerry Moor wrote on Facebook that she was "over two miles away and our house shook", while James Cummings said: "I live directly across from there and was awake at the time and the shock of the explosion shook my house and knocked me out of my bed."

One woman, who asked not to be named as she left her house opposite the scene this morning, said: "I've never heard anything like it. I shot up straight in bed."

Joan Latcham, who lives opposite the scene, said: "I heard a big bang but just thought that it was fireworks at first. When I looked out of the window, I could see crowds of people out on the streets.

"I don’t know how anyone wasn’t hurt in the explosion, they must have used a timer or something.

"Whoever did it must have been fast as the police were here within minutes."