BREAKING NEWS: A BADLY burnt man was taken to hospital after an explosion ripped apart a house in Blyth, Northumberland, tonight.

Police said it is not yet known how seriously the man, believed to be in his 30's, is injured.

It is undestood the blast may have been caused by a build-up of gas.

It happened at 6.40pm in the end-of-terrace house in Twentieth Avenue - blowing off the roof together with the front walls of both the ground and first floor rooms. The rest of the street had to be evacuated

The explosion started a blaze in the kitchen and sent debris flying across a wide area. A car parked outside was blown onto its roof.

Father-of-two Darren Brown, 31, was first on the scene and helped drag the man from the burning house.

"I was just sat in my house when I heard this massive bang and I thought there had been a big car crash outside.

"I could see smoke and flames coming from the house at the end of the street. There was a car on its roof, bricks and rubble were all flung about everywhere and had smashed the windows of some of the cars parked nearby.

"The house was just a shell.

"The roof had gone up and then settled down, then all the walls fell in like a pack of cards.

"My cousin, Billy Ward, was in the house and he was trying to help the man inside.

"I ran in and we picked up the man from the sofa. He must have been asleep of unconscious or something. The man was about 30, bald and was wearing atracksuit bottoms and a bodybuilder's vest."

It is understood the man is a postman and had only recently moved into the street.

Three hours after the explosion, there were still 10ft high flames raging in what remained of the kitchen.

Ross Burt, 17, a plumber, said: "There were loads of little kids screaming. They had been playing outside the house when it went off but none of them were hurt."

Three fire crews were quickly at the scene, together with police and ambulance crews.

A police spokesman said: "Substantial damage has been caused to the property and at this stage one casualty, believed to be a male, has been taken to hospital.

"His condition, at this point, is unknown."