AN ex-servicemen's club came under attack on Armistice Day when an explosion blew out all its windows.

But rather than grenades and mortars, a large firework is thought to be responsible for the explosion at the Barbourne Ex-Servicemen's Club.

The club was playing host to a skittles match between the bottom two teams of the Worcestershire District Skittles League.

The club's own team The Avengers were narrowly ahead of The Independents, a team from the Toby's Tavern, on Sansome Street, in Worcester city centre, when the incident happened.

"We heard this loud bang," said club member Brian Taylor, one of the 16 people in the skittles alley when the explosion happened.

"We didn't know what it was. Somebody said they had heard the fizz of a firework just before the actual bang.

"Because of this and because of the time of year it seems likely it was a firework. Some people said there were kids running away, but by the time we realised what was going on and got outside, it was too late."

The blast was powerful enough to blow out all the glass from the 11 windows at the club on The Moors near Pitchcroft racecourse.

Glass showered out onto the street and no one was injured in the incident, but the bang hurt people's ears, said Mr Taylor.

Police and three fire engines were called out to the scene at about 9.30pm yesterday.

The firework appears to have been launched using an overflow pipe, attached to the Swan Theatre Studio, (left) in the alley next to the club.

The pipe was destroyed, but manager Chris Jaeger said the theatre escaped any other serious damage.

"This was an extremely dangerous incident whereby it appears someone has deliberately placed a large firework or rocket behind a waste pipe," said a police spokesman.

"It is fortunate nobody was walking through the alley at the time because, without a doubt, serious injury or death would have been the result."

Police will be examining CCTV footage and want anyone who was in the area at the time or who has information about the incident to contact them on 08457 444888.

... and silence as Worcester remembers

A CANNON fired and Worcester stood still for two minutes to remember the war dead.

As the High Street came to a standstill the chimes of Big Ben rang out over the speaker in CrownGate shopping centre and shoppers bowed their heads at 11am yesterday.

The older people held their heads high, eyes forward as younger shoppers bowed their heads in respect. A second cannon blast broke the silence and the High Street returned to normal.

At Sainsbury's, in Cathedral Plaza, a two-minute warning was given, then a bell halted the checkouts.

"Our customers tend to be the young and the old. All observed the silence," said Andy Hooper, duty manager at the store.

In Marks and Spencer lights dimmed to indicate to shoppers that the silence had begun. "Most people stopped, many were actually waiting for it," said Pat Whitehead, section manager.

Trade ceased at most stores in Worcester as staff observed the two-minute silence on what was the 85th anniversary of the end of the First World War.