A British man was arrested in Granada, accused of attempting to blow up his ex's flat by sabotaging the domestic butane installations.

The 42-year-old man stands accused of gender violence and an attempt to cause extensive damage. After a heated argument with his ex partner, he allegedly severed the butane pipe to a hot-water heater, as well as leaving the rings on the gas cooker open.

According to the fire personnel called in, had there been an explosion it would have caused disastrous damage to the building.

It was the city municipal police who were the first to arrive at the address of Nº6 Calle José María López Garrido, who then handed over the situation to the Policía Nacional as it involved an allegedly penal offence rather than a civil one.

The police immediately closed off the street just before midnight. The suspect was intercepted by the police as he was leaving through the main entrance to the block, with his suitcases.

In the meantime the officers from both police forces entered the flat and disconnected the butane bottle and waited for the fire service to arrive.

The firsst thing that the fire personnel did was to switch off the electricity supply to the building rather than throwing a switch inside the flat which could have caused a spark. They then ventilated the flat, which was on the second floor, whilst taking readings for the presence of gas in the air.

According to a neighbour the man and woman had been arguing all evening and then the woman left the flat. The neighbour heard the man banging the butane bottles on the floor, he said. It was when he started to smell gas that he phoned the emergency services.

(News: City & Metropolitan Area, Granada, Andalucia)