Mums can have a peaceful lie-in tomorrow - thanks to considerate bosses at a Cleckheaton demolition firm.

The Controlled Demolition Group traditionally schedules explosive demolitions on Sundays to ensure minimum disruption to the working public.

But today at 12 noon it was due to press the button on two 15-storey blocks of flats in Leeds so as not to spoil Mothers' Day for hundreds of people living nearby.

Managing director Charles Moran said: "About 400 homes and more than 1,000 people will have to be evacuated on the morning of the blow down and a 120 metre exclusion zone enforced, which would have put a damper on Mothering Sunday.

"So now we have decided to protect those special lie-ins mums look forward to by bringing the block down today instead."

The blocks are being removed to make way for a multi-million pound investment by Leeds Council.

Leeds Council property services manager Peter Flint said: "We have worked with Controlled Demolition Group before, most recently on the blow down of three other tower blocks in east Leeds in 1997.

"Since then it has demolished countless high-rise structures across the world. We know we are in safe hands."