Police in Workington have been forced to apologise after they carried out a controlled explosion on a suspicious car - only to realise the vehicle had been left there by officers.

They had assisted the owner of the car when he became ill, and parked his vehicle outside the police station.

However, officers on duty last night became concerned about suspicious objects in the vehicle.

A controlled explosion was then carried out by bomb disposal experts, and the A596 road was closed, while some residents were warned they may have to be evacuated.

Police now say that the mistake was due to an "internal communication error".

They say they've spoken to the man who owned the car, and have apologised to him.