Bomb hoax man given community order

Tony Gannon was sentenced at Canterbury Crown Court

A man who admitted carrying out a bomb hoax in Margate has been given a community order at Canterbury Crown Court.

Tony Gannon, 61, of Sweyn Road, had been due to face trial after he pleaded not guilty to relaying information he knew or believed to be false to a person.

However, he changed his plea to guilty last October, court officials said.

At a hearing this month, he was sentenced to a community order of 36 months 50 days of rehabilitation activity requirements.

Police were called to a property in Sweyn Road on 19 July last year, following a report of a man making threats to cause damage to the building.

A total of 16 households were evacuated as a precaution, Kent Police said at the time.