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The incident happened only days after a gunman opened fire on police patrol officers in a residential street in Cheetham Hill.

Mohammed Yasin was leaving his base in Halliwell Lane off Cheetham Hill Road after hearing a noise outside when he found a side window in his car had been smashed.

He was about to open the car door when he noticed smoke and saw sparks inside the vehicle coming from between the two front seats.

"I ran back in the office and there was this massive blast," he said. "The windscreen flew high up in the air, the other windows shattered all over the place and the car went 20 yards down the road.

"I was very lucky. The car's a write-off. The roof and both front doors were damaged by the explosion and the dashboard was wrecked.

"I don't know what the explosive was and I don't know who planted it or why they picked on my car but I'll never work in this area again. It's much too dangerous."

Police confirmed they are investigating the explosion and forensic tests are being carried out on the remains of a firework thought to have been the cause.