POLICE have apologised after initially refusing to help a Hampshire mum who found a makeshift petrol bomb under her car.

Mel Brown was left terrified after finding matches, a bag of patrol and a homemade firework under the fuel tank of her BMW, which was parked outside her New Milton home.

Paper had been set alight in what looked like a failed attempt to ignite the potentially-explosive package.

But Ms Brown, 29, said she had to make two 999 before police arrived and summoned a Royal Navy bomb disposal team.

A remote-controlled robot was used to examine the bomb, which was made safe before being handed over to the police as evidence.

Now Hampshire Constabulary has admitted that a call handler breached a rule that says police must respond immediately to any incidents involving incendiary devices.

A police spokesman said: "We are sorry that the service the victim received was not acceptable.

"As a force we regret the delay and the distress it caused. We have have learned from it and are working to ensure it does not happen again."

Ms Brown, who has two children aged two and seven, said she discovered the sinister-looking device on Tuesday.

She said: "When I went outside I saw a firework next to my car and a bag of liquid beside one of the tyres. I moved the bag out of the way and that's when I smelled petrol.

"When I rang 999 the person I spoke to said it would be logged as a suspicious incident but advised me to contact the local council.

"I was shocked - I couldn't believe what I was being asked to deal with it myself.

"I spoke to a neighbour who is quite good on the phone. She rang the police and told them they had to come out immediately.

"I don't know if the culprits targeted me or whether it was a random attack. They might have put the device under my car because it was in a car port and they thought they wouldn't be seen.

"If the device had gone off the whole car would have gone up.

"My neighbour was absolutely disgusted at the initial police response and everyone I talk to about it says 'what do you mean they weren't going to come out?'

"Now every time I go out I look at my car - and even little things make me jump out of my skin."

A police spokesman said the incident was being investigated as attempted arson.