A leader has hit out after a troop of primary age girl guides were left terrified when a ‘bomb bag’ exploded in the middle of their meeting.
The explosive prank toy was pushed through the letterbox of Rishton Methodist Church during a 2nd Rainbow and Brownie guide meeting, causing uproar as it activated with a loud bang next to a table of five-year-old girls.
‘Bomb bags’ are prank toys which inflate and then explode loudly, releasing citric acid and bicarbonate of soda.
Volunteer Katy Rider, who leads the Rainbow troop, said the device was posted through the door after 7pm on March 14.
She said: “I walked up to it and saw that it was inflated like a crisp packet with air. I didn’t want to approach it because it looked liked something was going to happen.
“It just kind of exploded with a bang and white foam came out of it.”
Kate Hummer, the Guider in charge of Brownies, said that anti-social behaviour in Rishton seems to be increasing, and the church is a target.
She said: “Things have happened like that before, but it’s not been as bad as that for a couple of years.
“It’s just starting to build up again.
“Anti-social behaviour is definitely happening in Rishton, I have noticed it.
“When we run the units we are a target for them.
“I can’t walk in and out of that church without having something happen, a youth shout at me or do something.”
The 25-year-old added: “The children do get scared. These pranks aren’t harmless fun - if it was to go through an elderly person’s letterbox they would be absolutely terrified.
“I just think it’s awful that behaviour.
“Do these people understand the consequences of their actions, or are they just out to cause trouble?”
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