Two cleaners who ended up in court after making a hoax bomb threat at the Floriana health centre in January were this morning let off with a conditional discharge.

A third, Christine Spiteri, 50, from Żabbar, was ordered to carry out 100 hours of community service since she was a repeat offender.

Ms Spiteri, together with 37-year-old Sandra Ellul from Birżebbuga and 21-year-old Tiziana Vella from Żebbuġ were accused with misusing electronic equipment, carrying out serious threats and instilling fear in people that violence would be used against them.

In a previous sitting, Magistrate Joe Mifsud had heard how the three women, who all work as cleaners at the Floriana health centre, were whiling away the time playing games on their mobile phones.

The court had heard how the idea of making a fake bomb threat occurred to them when Ms Ellul was playing a game on her mobile phone which featured the sound of a bomb exploding.

Ms Ellul and Ms Vella were conditionally discharged for one year.

Inspector Priscilla Caruana Lee prosecuted while lawyers Arthur Azzopardi, Pawlu Lia, Franco Debono and Angie Muscat defended the accused.