Zoe Watts: Survivalist police worker admits making explosives

Zoe Watts, who ran her own survivalist channel on YouTube, admitted making an improvised explosive device and weapons charges

A police worker who ran a survivalist YouTube channel has admitted possessing banned weapons and making an improvised explosive device.

Zoe Ashley Watts - a former PCSO - was arrested in October after a search at her home in St Helens Avenue, Lincoln.

A police raid at her home found a stun gun, butterfly knives and a modified electric fly swatter able to discharge noxious substances.

She will be sentenced at Lincoln Crown Court on 29 June.

The court heard Watts, who became a civilian worker with Lincolnshire Police after stepping down as a community support officer, first came to the attention of Border Force officials.

Her home was raided after customs officers intercepted packages containing two butterfly knives a month before.

A bomb disposal team was called in and nearby homes were evacuated, with local residents unable to return for several hours.

'Very odd set of offences'

Andrew Peat, prosecuting, said: "Unlike similar cases there is no evidence any of these items were possessed with an ideology in mind, anything political.

The Crown accepts Watts' account for why she had the device and other items, he said.

Watts, 35, had been due to face trial this week but on Tuesday admitted the charge of making an improvised explosive device (IED).

She admitted the weapons charges at a hearing on Monday.

Judge Catarina Sjolin Knight rejected an application by Watts' defence for her to be sentenced immediately.

"It is a very odd set of offences," she told the court.

"I am going to adjourn your case for the preparation of a pre-sentence report which will address all options, including the risk you pose to others," she added.

Watts - a former PCSO with Lincolnshire Police - was arrested after a search at her home in Lincoln in October

Watts, who was a trade union activist serving as the equalities officer for the force's union, is due to be sentenced on 29 June.

After the hearing, Assistant Chief Constable Kerrin Wilson said the force had been "shocked" by the case and Watts' fascination with weapons.

"While there was no evidence to suggest she had plans to use these, the nature of them was disturbing and quite frankly, completely incompatible with what we stand for," she said.

"We believe the explosive device could have been capable of detonating and causing injury to anyone in close proximity of it," she added.

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