PROSECUTORS have welcomed the sentencing of a Carlisle man who falsely claimed he had left a bomb at the city centre cenotaph on Remembrance Sunday.

A prosecutor from the Crown Prosecution Service said that the actions of Benjamin Michael Heaney on November 11, 2020 were 'disrespectful and irresponsible'.

At Carlisle Crown Court today (Friday), Heaney was handed a suspended jail sentence.

On the day in question, whilst armed forces and others paid their respects by placing wreaths at the cenotaph at 11am, Benjamin Heaney was sat on a nearby bench with two rucksacks.

READ MORE: Man made chilling Remembrance Sunday hoax bomb threat at city cenotaph

Two witnesses saw him leave one rucksack behind and walk away at speed towards Banks Street.

One of the men followed him to alert him that he had left his property behind, but Heaney responded by telling him it was a bomb.

They contacted police who attended and cordoned off the area for the safety of the public.

When the rucksack was searched it contained a camera.

Natalie Mackenzie for the CPS said: "Benjamin Heaney’s disrespectful and irresponsible actions that day caused considerable distress and fear to those in attendance to remember all those who have fallen defending our country.

“He also caused disruption and significant cost to emergency services and took them away from attending genuine call outs.

“Creating a bomb scare is no trivial matter and we will robustly prosecute anyone who commits such offences.”

READ MORE: Man made chilling Remembrance Sunday hoax bomb threat at city cenotaph