Newcastle University campus rocked by two bomb scares in a week

One fresher charged and another bailed after explosives found in student bedroom


• Newcastle Uni faced two bomb scares in a week
• Two 18-year-old freshers arrested over the shock incident
• One student charged for making explosives and another on bail 

One student has been charged and another has been bailed over the Newcastle Uni bomb scares that left the city terrified last week.

A university fresher who had been exhibiting changing behaviour and started dressing in military gear has been charged for manufacturing explosives. A second student arrested in the wake of the scare last week has been bailed pending further enquiry.

Newcastle Uni’s INTO building

The Newcastle Uni halls were first evacuated last Tuesday when explosives were found in a student bedroom on campus.

Hours later, two 18-year-old Russian freshers were arrested over the shock incident.

Now one student has been charged with manufacturing an explosive substance and possessing a bladed article in a public place.

Another teenager arrested under the Explosives Act has been bailed.

Suspicious items were first discovered in the INTO (a halls of residence international students) building last week in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

Students were then swiftly evacuated from halls before a specialist robot was sent in. Police then sealed off the site and a controlled explosion was carried out.

But in a fresh scare on Thursday, only days later, 80 students were cleared from the building at 4am when as police searched for other suspicious materials. The items found were then removed and the building was reopened later that day.

Two students were then arrested in the wake of the initial scare. On Wednesday one male fresher was arrested in London under the Terrorism Act in London and has now been charged under the Explosive Substances Act 1883 and for carrying a bladed weapon. He appeared before Magistrates in London yesterday.

The second 18-year-old was arrested in Northumbria on Wednesday under the Explosives Act and for conspiracy to commit GBH, but has been released on bail.

But on Monday, just hours before the explosives were found, uni staff alerted police about one student’s changing behaviour. Staff suspected that the student, who had started to dress militarily, was carrying a knife.

It is not yet known if the pair are linked to any extremist or terrorist groups, but police say the students are known to each other.

George, a first year History student at Newcastle University was close by on the day of the first scare.

He told The Tab:  “I was coming back from a friend’s house and I had got off at Monument Metro station so that I could buy McDonald’s on the way home. The area was surrounded by police and there were several vans outside towards the University. The University side entrance of the building was blocked to the public and was surrounded by police tape.”

Students left shaken up after the incident also took to Twitter to describe the chaos that unfolded in the aftermath of the attack.

Assistant chief constable Farrell said: “A number of items were seen in the bedroom which gave cause for concern and we implemented our well established response plans which included an evacuation of the building and implementation of safety cordons.”

“In line with nationally agreed protocols Counter Terrorism Officers attended the scene and as a result of their initial assessment a military Explosive Ordnance Disposal unit attended the scene.

“Following a detailed assessment the items were identified as being explosives, they were removed by the military and a controlled explosion carried out at Exhibition Park.”

The North-East counter-terrorism squad have since taken over the investigation, and forensic testing is being carried out the the suspicious materials found in the student bedroom. 

 A counter- terrorism unit spokeswoman said: “The 18 year old man arrested in Northumbria on Wednesday June 11, on suspicion of offences under the Explosives Act, has now been released on bail.”

“The 18 year-old-man arrested in London on Tuesday June 10, on suspicion of offences under the Terrorism Act, remains in custody at this time.

“The Unit continues to work alongside Northumbria Police as the investigation progresses.”