Not far from where a small explosive device was found near a mosque in Walsall a few weeks ago.
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A reported explosion near a mosque in the West Midlands is being treated as a terrorist incident, police say.
A number of roads around Binfield Street in Tipton have been cordoned off after residents reported hearing a loud bang before finding nails and debris.
There are no reports of any injuries, West Midlands Police said, but streets were evacuated as a precautionary measure.
One witness told the BBC that people were "terrified and very scared".
'People terrified'
A force spokesman said: "Police have been called to Binfield Street in Tipton this afternoon following reports of a loud bang.
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At the scene
Phil Mackie
Reporter, BBC Radio 5 live
Many of the roads in the area have been shut by the police and lots of people are confused about what's happened.
This is a predominantly British Pakistani neighbourhood and the area is mainly made up of Victorian back-to-backs.
That means closing some roads make it very difficult to get around the area.
I've seen uniformed police officers door knocking, asking people what they've seen.
It's a sunny evening - people are out on the streets and discussing what they've seen.
"Some residents have reported finding debris in the area and finding nails.
"This is being investigated by counter terrorism detectives and forensic officers at the scene."
Shopkeeper Sadarat Khan said he was coming out of a local chemist when he heard a "bomb blast".
"I did tell the police there to evacuate the area, please for god's sake - there were nails all over the place," he said.
"They didn't seem to be bothered too much... It took them about 40 minutes to evacuate the place.
"People were terrified and very scared and shaken".
BBC reporters at the scene were told that prayers at the mosque were usually held at 13:00 BST, but had been moved to 14:00 BST because of Ramadan.
"Residents say the mosque would have been full had the timings not changed for Friday prayers, which would have meant casualties," BBC 5 live reporter Phil Mackie said.
Among the road closures are parts of Sedgley Road East, Dudley Port, Jays Avenue, Tudor Court, Park Lane East, Crompton Road and Victoria Road.
Police gave bottles of water to residents with young children who gathered along Dudley Port in Tipton.
'Lots of police'
Tipton councillor Ian Jones said he was "very shocked" at what had happened.
"This has always been a settled community where everyone lives together peacefully," he said.
Witness Sadarat Khan: "I heard a big blast. There were nails all over the place"
Mr Jones told BBC WM it could not "go unnoticed" that the incident happened on the same day of the funeral of Fusilier Lee Rigby, who was killed in Woolwich in May.
Councillor Syeda Amina Khatun said she was not aware of any previous attacks on the mosque.
She said: "The explosion has gone off on the disused railway line behind the mosque.
"The whole estate has been blocked off. People are surprised that something like this has happened."
Adrian Bailey, MP for West Bromwich West, said it was a "very stable and very good" neighbourhood and that community relations were good.
West Midlands Police are still investigating an explosion which occurred near a mosque in Caldmore in Walsall last month.
About 150 people were evacuated from homes near Aisha Mosque and Islamic Centre after a device was found in a nearby alley.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-23291268
Topic: explosion near mosque in midlands being treated as terrorist incident