A detective was startled to discover home-made bombs hidden under a sofa in a flat in Crawley, a court heard.

Detective Constable Christopher Davison told a jury at Lewes Crown Court he feared for his safety after finding the two explosives during a search of the flat above shops in Langley Parade, Langley Green.

Police immediately evacuated neighbours and traders from the area.

An Army bomb disposal unit was alerted and the devices made safe.

The prosecution alleges Jose Pestana, who lived at the flat, made the bombs in order to exact revenge after he lost his job at a restaurant at Gatwick following an accident at work.

Pestana, 41, is accused of plotting to blow up Garfunkels in the south terminal with the devices made from firework powder wrapped in newspaper and strapped to two gas cylinders.

The court has heard how he felt unfairly treated because he only received £22,500 compensation for injuring his finger when he believed he deserved £1 million.

Mr Davison said he was with a team of other officers searching the three-bedroom maisonette on March 18.

Pestana, a Portuguese national from the island of Madeira, was not at home but a flatmate let the officers in.

Mr Davison said when he lifted up the brown sofa, which Pestana used as a bed, he saw two objects beneath.

He said: "I saw two packages which I recognised to be improvised explosive devices or elaborate hoaxes.

"I was startled. I feared for my safety and the people in the surrounding flats. I told everybody to leave."

The officer described how the lining of the bottom of the sofa had been cut away, leaving a space large enough to cover and hide the bombs.

When the bomb disposal unit arrived, the devices were X-rayed before being dissembled in the flat.

Earlier the jury heard how Pestana had become increasingly obsessed with revenge on the company and the manager of the restaurant after he was forced to give up work as a chef following the accident in 1995.

He made threats to his two flatmates that he would plant a bomb and kill the manager.

Flatmate Joao Cabrita told the court Pestana claimed he had a bomb and intended to blow up Garfunkels.

Mr Cabrita said: "I never believed it was true. I never believed he had any intention of causing any danger to anybody."

Pestana has denied illegally possessing explosive substances and unlawfully and maliciously having explosive substances with intent to endanger life or damage property.

The trial continues.