The pregnant wife of an Army bomb disposal expert was fighting for life last night after her car blew up as she was about to drive off with her son.

Witnesses said they saw a man putting Vicky Fabian, 32, and Henry, three, in the vehicle, then dangled keys at her and yelled: "You're going to get f*****g killed."

Seconds later an almighty explosion ripped through the car.

Vicky, a nurse who had just been accepted into the Army's Royal Medical Corps, suffered horrific leg injuries.

She was pulled from the vehicle by frantic husband Nick, 32, who is believed to have been waiting to drive off in another car nearby.

Neighbours also rushed to help and covered Vicky's gaping wounds with T-shirts and towels.

She was flown to hospital by air ambulance ten minutes later.

Incredibly Henry, who was in a baby seat, escaped unhurt. The couple's other son, who is aged ten or 11, was not involved.

Local homes were later evacuated and a bomb disposal robot scoured the area for other devices.

Nick, who served with the Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment until 2003, has recently rejoined the Army and was expected to be posted to Afghanistan soon as a bomb disposal expert.

Neighbours said the couple - due to become parents again in three months - had been targeted just a couple of weeks before when their caravan and car were torched.

In the latest attack, witnesses said the blast rocked nearby homes and left a gaping hole between the pedals of the Mazda 323 and the engine compartment.

It is not known whether the bomb was wired into the car's ignition or detonated by remote control.

A girl witness said: "I was walking by the house and a man put the woman and child inside, and then was dangling the keys through the window at them.

"He appeared to be manic, going 'Ha-ha'. He was shouting that they were going to get 'f****** killed'.

"I was scared and just ran. Then there was the boom.

"It was like something from Iraq or Afghanistan. Flames were coming from the car.

"She still had her legs but she was in a bad way."

Another witness, Paul Feeney, said: "Nick had driven off a short distance in one car and she was about to follow.

"She had just started to reverse when the front was ripped-off. I ran to the scene and Nick was tending to his wife."

Nick and Vicky married in 2005 and had lived in their £145,000 terrace home in Vigo near Meopham, Kent, since 2006.

His mum, Kathleen Mitchell-Hewson, 59, of Tonbridge, said: "They have no enemies to my knowledge.

"I just pray this hasn't caused them to lose their unborn child."

Last night a 32-year-old man was arrested over the blast.