A man has been jailed for 16 months after he report a bomb hoax in an attempt to delay the flight he was running late for from Gatwick Airport. Police said they received a call from Rashidul Islam, 32, on May 4 last year, who told the call handler there may be a bomb on an easyJet flight and that authorities needed to stop it. As a result of the call, all passengers for the 5.40pm Gatwick to Marrakech flight were held in the gate room and the crew were evacuated from the aircraft. During this time, Islam, a designer from London, turned up late for check-in, and enquiries revealed his mobile had been used to make the hoax call. While under interview, he fully admitted the offence, claiming he was supposed to be meeting his fiancee in Marrakech, but had had problems on public transport which caused him to be late for his flight. Police said, in a desperate attempt to delay, he had called 999 to say he had information there was a bomb on the plane. Investigating Officer, DC Stephen Trott, said: "While the defendant expressed remorse, there is no excuse for his actions that day and he has been sentenced accordingly. "Making a false report of a bomb on a plane not only causes significant costs and delays to the airport and its passengers; it also strikes fear into the community. "We treat all reports of this nature extremely seriously, and anyone caught committing such an offence will be dealt with robustly. "We work closely with Gatwick Airport and its airlines to ensure people are kept as safe as possible, and we will not tolerate anyone who comprises this." Islam has also been banned from Gatwick Airport. The delayed flight took off more than three hours after it was scheduled to leave, while all luggage on the flight was re-screened and passengers were re-checked through security. Islam was not on the flight, having been arrested by officers. More Radio is continuously dedicated to providing a quality news service on-air and online, reporting local stories that matter across Sussex. If you enjoyed reading this story, then check out our home page at moreradio.online where you can find the latest from the county, along with features and competitions from our presenters, as well as listening to the station live. You can also sign up to our news alerts to receive updates on new stories. Simply click on the bell at the bottom right of the home page. This will then allow a pop-up which will ask if you would like to receive alerts. Press ‘allow’ and you’re all signed up! You can also follow us on Facebook and on Twitter.
Event Bookings Go Live For Worthing Festival ‘24
Man Charged After Throwing Brick Through Brighton Restaurant Window
Peacehaven Man Disqualified Over High-Speed A27 Pursuit Near Brighton
Appeal After PCSO Assaulted In Uckfield
Man Charged With Rape Of Teenage Girl In Newhaven
Overnight Closures For A22 Forest Row Road Improvements
Brighton Defence Manufacturer's Controversial Planning Application Likely To Be Heard
Over £2.4m Approved For Worthing School Support Centre
Section Of M25 To Close Again Tonight - As Drivers Warned Not To Get Complacent
Plans For 800 New Horsham Homes Refused