A PARKED van saved a policeman from serious injury today when an electricity explosion blew a concrete cover into the air. PC Bob Fursey was on foot patrol in Alma Road in Sheerness when he heard a loud explosion and ducked.

At the time he was standing between a car and a black transit van. It was only when he saw smoke rising from behind the van, which was parked outside the Victoriana Hotel, that he went round to see what had happened.

On the ground was the two-inch thick concrete cover, which had shattered from the force of hitting the ground.

PC Fursey said: "I radioed for the fire brigade to attend and told everyone to stay away as I didn't know if it was gas. If the van had not been there then I would have been hit by something, definitely.

"You get a lot of pedestrians walking along here, but fortunately there were none at that time." The fire brigade and PC Fursey informed householders to turn off their gas until Transco arrived and the area around the van was sealed off using police tape. Transco were on the scene within 20 minutes but quickly confirmed it was not a gas explosion. Twenty minutes later Seeboard arrived. An inspection of the area revealed that there had been a problem with an electricity link box.

A Seeboard spokesperson said: "The area was cordoned off so that there was no danger to the public. The incident did not interrupt electricity supplies in the area and we are investigating the cause."