Student who sparked Newcastle bomb scare with artwork on bridge given community service

Thomas Ellison said he wanted to copy an exhibit seen in Prague

Thomas Ellison placed the art on a bridge in the centre of Newcastle, sparking a bomb scare. (Northumbria Police/PA )

A student who sparked a bomb scare by attaching piece of art to a bridge has been sentenced to 90 hours of community service.

Thomas Ellison installed a transparent lunch box containing wires, a circuit board and doll to the High Level Bridge in Newcastle, causing a city centre bomb alert.

The bridge between Newcastle and Gateshead was shut to cars, trains and pedestrians after a member of the public called the police about the suspected bomb on 15 August 2017.

Two hours after the bridge and roads in the city were sealed off, police and bomb disposal experts established that the item was not a viable device.

The following day, Ellison dialled 999 to ask if he could have his art work returned to him.

The 32-year-old was then arrested and questioned about the hoax, but he denied any wrongdoing.

Ellison, of Newcastle, pleaded guilty to causing a public nuisance at an earlier hearing in Newcastle.

Newcastle Crown Court heard Ellison had seen a similar exhibit in Prague, and wanted to do the same on Tyneside.

Detective Constable Kim Day said: "Not only did it cause a lot of concern among members of the public but it led to a huge response from emergency services and bomb disposal experts.

"That all comes at a cost to the taxpayer and, at best, his actions were completely irresponsible."

Ellison was sentenced to a six-month community order on Monday, requiring him to carry out 90 hours of unpaid work.

Additional reporting by PA