Maltese man causes British bomb scare
A Maltese man was arrested last Thursday on suspicion of causing a bomb scare on train from Southampton to London Victoria.
British Transport Police told The Sunday Times the 25-year-old man was reported to police by his fellow passengers who overheard him talking about a bomb.
Armed officers from the Transport Police, assisted by Hampshire Constabulary officers, evacuated the train and station at Havant at around 5.30 p.m., but no device was found.
The hoax caused disruption to rush hour rail services, with two services cancelled and another severely delayed.
The Maltese man, who was in the third coach, was arrested on suspicion of communicating a bomb hoax and for public order offences.
He was granted police bail and is due to return to Southampton police station on March 24.
British Transport Police said they were unable to reveal the man’s identity or say whether he was a tourist or a resident in the UK at this stage.
Popular Stories
Update 3: Woman found dead in car,...
Updated: Woman dies in car crash
Carm Mifsud Bonnici resigns after...
Part of Dwejra 'Azure window' collapses
The end of the bar that ‘never closed’
Bundy does not know whether to...
Updated - Jason Micallef demands...
This WAS the night - Kurt makes it...
'No need for early election if PM's...
In Discussion
Updated - Jason Micallef demands...
Gozo tunnel could take 5-7 years to...
CABS remote controlled aircraft shot...
Carm Mifsud Bonnici resigns after...
Joseph Calleja condemns portrayal of...
Updated: Labour would give...
CABS drone shot down
Second group of migrants arrives
Adrian Vassallo in scathing...
5 Comments
Post comment
Please sign in or create your Account to post comments.
Ramon Casha
Jan 29th, 12:56
It sounds like a bomb SCARE, not a bomb HOAX. A bomb scare happens when someone is talking on the phone in Maltese and says something like "Għadni kemm rajt film bomba" (I've just seen a great film) - which in England sounds a lot like "ahaba alahaba hababa BOMBA". If he's guilty of anything it's stupidity, but if we had to jail everyone guilty of that we'd need a much larger jail.
The fact that they released him on bail, and that there is no mention on this anywhere except on a local Chichester website, makes it probable that when the dust had settled, everyone realised it was a misunderstanding, but the police charged him with everything they could find anyway, because that's what the police do everywhere.
dingaling rockcliffe
Jan 29th, 11:02
Boot the bagger out, the Maltese would have done the same but not before they make the culprit pay (money)
connie mifsud
Jan 29th, 11:45
YOUR NAME SAYS IT ALL (dingaling) know the facts do you? WHAT IF HE IS INNOCENT
Geoff Gibson
Jan 29th, 19:00
@connie Mifsud, he probably is innocent and the way it's worded the first comment is almost surely correct - it's an idiotic misunderstanding (on the Maltese man as well as the other passengers fault) But D.Rockcliffe's basic point is perfectly valid. If this had been a Brit in Malta there would have been pages of comments on here telling the authorities to boot him out, send him home, throw the book at him etc.
As a Brit in Malta for the past few years I've lost count of the amount of times I've been told to 'go home' and other phrases of a less savory nature - and I haven't even committed a crime!
Rich Brad saunders
Jan 30th, 12:03
G'day Mr.Gibson, you are not the only one, we am originally from Sth.Island New Zealand, many a time we were rudely told to piss off back home, if we dont like what we see, or even attempt to correct some ignorant locals who do not want to learn and improve themselves, however perhaps you have been here longer then we, in our case we are planning to return the sooner the better. besides the islands are proving not only too expensive but also still alot more room for improvement and some are just not interested, all they are interested in is our case as we live in Gozo is our money, collecting right on the dot without fail,, and at xmas. last, not even a bottle of wine from the tight gits. I think England the land of hope and Glory would suit us much better., we find the British really nice & polite, educated people and thats is what our kids needs better education.