FORENSIC experts were last night still unsure as to the cause of an

early morning explosion outside a house in Wishaw.

Despite carrying out a detailed examination of the roadway in Golfhill

Road where the small explosion took place, police specialists were

unable to establish the type of device used. No-one was injured in the

blast and damage was minimal.

Further tests will be carried out later today to determine whether the

device was, in fact, as earlier believed, a hand grenade.

Police also revealed they had not ruled out the possibility the

incident could be linked with a later shotgun attack on another house in

the Wishaw area.

Acting Chief Superintendent George Burton, the divisional commander

for the Lanarkshire area, stressed that both incidents could have

endangered the lives of innocent people.

He appealed to anyone who had information or may have seen either

attack, to come forward.

The explosion happened around 1.20am on the pavement outside the home

of Mr William Murdoch and his family. The windows of several nearby

houses were shattered by the blast.

Just over an hour later, a shotgun was fired at the living room window

of a house in Winning Quadrant, which is owned by Mr Murdoch's brother.