A man who planted a fake bomb outside the town hall in Blackburn, Lancashire, has been jailed for three years.

Craig Slee, 50, of Logwood Street, Blackburn, left an open laptop with a mobile phone taped to its screen and a record box with «ISIS» written on its front outside the building in May 2019.

A detonation team were called and the area was evacuated for three hours.

On Friday at Preston Crown Court he was convicted of placing an article with intent. He was given a restraining order banning him from entering a designated area of Blackburn town centre for five years.

Lancashire Police said members of the public who found the items left by Slee on King William Street had raised the alarm. Police said the the devices were seized but were found to be not «viable». Det Con Fiona Hall, of Lancashire Police, said: «This incident had a significant impact and I welcome the sentence which reflects the gravity of the offending. «His actions and complete lack of regard for other people caused widespread and unnecessary worry over an already sensitive and concerning subject.»