Bomb hoaxer wanted to go home early

AN officer worker at the Ministry of Justice has admitted making two hoax calls claiming there was a bomb in the building because he wanted to go home early.

Andre Lake, 26, an administration officer in the Youth Justice Office, posed as the building's head of security when he made his second call.

Prosecutor Darren Watts told Westminster magistrates that Lake said he had made the 999 calls because he "no longer enjoyed his work, had no annual leave left and he wanted to leave early". Mr Watts said: "Police received a call to the Ministry of Justice building in Petty France in relation to a bomb threat. A male said there was a bomb in the building before hanging up.

"That call was made at 7.15am and subsequent inquires traced the call to within the building. A second call was received at 8.20. The caller reported himself to be head of security but was in fact Lake."

The court heard that police and government security officers identified the calls coming from phones on the fifth and seventh floors. Lake was arrested at 3pm the same day and told the arresting officer he had been "foolish and stupid".

At his home in Harrow police found 12 bags of cannabis to feed his £200 per month addiction. The court was told that Lake had been convicted of burglary in August and was given a nine-month suspended sentence.

Lake, who admitted communicating false information about a bomb hoax and possessing a class B drug, will be sentenced later.