Serial Bomb hoaxer pleads guilty and told he faces prison sentence

A man has pleaded guilty to making a series of bomb hoaxes Christopher Butterfield, 63 of Tadworth, Surrey, pleaded guilty to six counts of bomb hoax at Croydon Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, 26 February. He has been remanded in custody to appear at Croydon Crown Court on a date yet to be arranged. Butterfield was arrested in Surrey on Monday, 24 February and charged the following day. The arrest followed a joint operation between the Met and Surrey Police following six separate bomb threats at commercial premises across south London and Surrey. – On Sunday, 16 February at approximately 11:45am Met officers attended a supermarket in Beddington Lane, Waddon; – On Monday, 17 February at approximately 1:50pm, Met officers attended a supermarket in Beddington Lane, Waddon; – On Friday, 21 February at approximately 11:30am, Surrey Police attended a supermarket in Banstead High Street, Banstead, Surrey; – On Friday, 21 February at approximately 11:00am, Surrey Police attended a shop in Sutton High Street, Sutton; – On Friday, 21 February at approximately 4:30am, Surrey Police attended a supermarket in Kiln Lane, Epsom, Surrey; – On Saturday, 22 February, at approximately 4:20pm, Met officers attended a shop in Valley Retail Park, Croydon Following the threats, the stores were evacuated, officers attended and searched as a precaution. All incidents were deemed non-suspicious hoaxes.

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