Mystery surrounds the circumstances leading to a van ‘blowing up’ on a housing estate in Neasden yesterday evening.
Police and fire crews were called to the scene in Tillet Close on the St Raphael’s Estate where the they discovered the charred remains of the vehicle at 8.15pm.
According to a witness, who asked to be anonymous, a loud explosion filled the air before the van was seen smoking with both its doors open.
They said: “I was in my living room when I heard a huge bang that made me shook. I then saw the van smouldering and two guys running away.
“It’s all very strange.”
Cllr Zaffar Van Kalwala, Labour councillor for the Stonebridge ward which covers the estate, told the Times: “This is an extremely shocking incident and I’m relieved that no one was seriously hurt. It must be terrifying for the residents on the estate to have to experience something like this, especially at this time of the year.
“I’ll be working with the council and the police Safer Neighbourhood Teams to ensure St Raphael’s gets all the support it needs to be deal with the situation”.
A police spokeswoman confirmed to the Times that officers had been called to the scene but she was unable to provide any further details.
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