Wayne Sergeant, 35, from Bedford Road in the resort, is charged with discharging a firearm in a public place in High Street.

He is also accused of shortening a shotgun barrel in contravention of the Firearms Act and with possessing a shotgun while prohibited.

He was allowed unconditional bail for two weeks by Blackpool magistrates.

Crews tackle scrapyard fire

Firefighters attended a fire at a scrap yard in Preston on Sunday night.

About 50 scrap vehicles were well alight when fire crews arrived.

The alarm was raised at the site, in Skeffington Road, about 2330 BST.

The fire spread to the roof of an adjoining building, but no-one was injured during the blaze.

Woman 'critical' after crash

A 19-year-old woman is in a critical condition in hospital after a road accident in Scarisbrick.

Louise Parkes, from Bootle, Merseyside, was travelling in a car with three other people when it was in collision with a taxi on Southport Road.

The others in the car also received serious injuries in the crash, but are said to be stable in Southport Hospital.