A 25-year-old doorman at Wetherspoons has been charged after he planted a fake bomb inside the pub loos so that he could ‘play hero’, a court has heard.
Whilst working as door security at the northern Hat and Feathers pub, Stephen Edward Oliphant when into the bathroom during his shift and left the device inside a cubicle.
He then claimed to others inside the pub that he had found a suspicious device in the boozer’s toilets, leading his manager to enter and find a white box with wire coming out and a mobile phone attached to the front.
After the bouncer had raised the alarm in the pub, its bar and restaurant was evacuated and a specialist Army bomb disposal unit was called to the scene at Seaham, County Durham.
However, upon the team’s arrival, it soon transpired that the ‘bomb’ was in fact a hoax and had been homemade from various paraphernalia, including a bingo dabber.
Forensic analysis later revealed that the device contained Oliphant’s DNA, which was also found on the various components of the hoax device.
Oliphant claimed to have found the package which he said he picked up to examine, took a photo of it and put it back down.
Further evidence connecting Oliphant to the fake bomb was then found when officers searched the doorman’s home.
After initially denying any involvement with the fake bomb hoax, the bouncer admitted to police that he had in fact planted the device so that he could make himself look like a hero.
Oliphant pleaded guilty at Durham Crown Court on 12 May to a charge of a bomb hoax and placing an article with intent.
He was then charged with a 12-month sentence on 15 May at a hearing.
Detective Constable Drew Davis, from Durham Constabulary, said: “Any report of a potential bomb is extremely worrying for the public and this job was very resource intensive with several agencies involved alongside ourselves to make sure no one came to any harm.
“Oliphant was reckless in planting this ‘device’ and we hope his sentence sends a clear message that this type of behaviour will not be tolerated and anyone engaging in this type of crime will be dealt with robustly.” Featured image – Durham Constabulary/ JD Wetherspoons
Eats
Lively Irish pub Nancy Spains set to open in Manchester for the first time
Daisy Jackson
An Irish bar famed for its live music is heading up to Manchester for the first time, and is promising £2.50 pints to lure us in.
Nancy Spains will be venturing out of London for the first time promising to bring the ‘ultimate traditional Irish pub experience’ to the Northern Quarter.
If you were to ask what the hottest trend in hospitality is right now the answer would, apparently, be Guinness. We’re drowning in the stuff.
This latest opening is more about Murphy’s, another Irish stout, than Guinness (they actually won’t serve Guinness at all) but the craic will be much the same.
Nancy Spains is actually set to open almost directly opposite the aforementioned Salmon of Knowledge, taking over the former Corner Boy unit on Stevenson Square in the heart of Manchester.
To celebrate its opening, the pub will be serving its first 5000 pints of Murphy’s for just £2.50, so that it can show off the atmosphere that’s established it as ‘one of London’s favourite pubs’.
They’re promising an array of Irish whiskeys behind the bar, live music performances, and a lively late-night setting.
Nancy Spains was set up by three brothers who travelled all over their home county of rural Kerry researching Irish pubs, before launching two venues down in London.
They want it to balance a traditional pub with the vibrancy of the city.
Peter O’Halloran, co-founder of Nancy Spains commented, “We’re so excited to be launching in Manchester, bringing Nancy Spains to the heart of the Northern Quarter.
“After the success of our two venues in London, it was only right to bring Nancy Spains’ infectious spirit and Irish pride to Manchester. Slainte!”
Nancy Spains will open its first Manchester pub on Saturday 15 March at 21 Hilton Street.
Lucky Mama’s – The Italian restaurant serving pasta in a dough bowl and ‘pregnant’ pizzas
Daisy Jackson
Lucky Mama’s is a local sensation, thanks to its slightly whacky but delicious Italian creations like pasta served in a bowl made of pizza dough and its latest offering, a ‘pregnant’ pizza.
What on Earth is a pregnant pizza, you ask? Firstly we should stress this is a nickname we’ve bestowed upon the dish, rather than Lucky Mama’s chosen branding.
But essentially it’s a helping of fresh pasta that’s folded into the bubble crust of the pizza, like a half-calzone.
Lucky Mama’s started life when founders Mamadou Dhiam and Gaby Santos set up a trailer in their backyard in Eccles in the depths of lockdown.
But thanks to a formidably loyal following that’s spread the word of Lucky Mama’s far and wide, it now has two pretty pink restaurants in Greater Manchester.
Back in 2022, they threw open the doors to their Chorlton restaurant, before returning back to home turf for spot number two in Monton in 2024.
The recipes are fresh and pretty authentically Italian up until the last step, when they throw a curveball by loading their pasta into unconventional vessels.
‘Pregnant’ pizzas at Lucky Mama’sTraditional Roman pizzasLucky Mama’s pink restaurant in Chorlton
Their pasta pizza bowls are what they’re best known for and they fly out of the kitchen – this is where pizza dough is placed around a metal bowl before being baked in an oven.
Then it’s piled high with freshly made pasta, with popular flavours like cacio e pepe, mushroom alfredo, and rasta pasta.
Pasta is available in a regular ceramic bowl too.
You’ll find Lucky Mama’s at 565 Barlow Moor Road in Chorlton; and 217 Monton Road in Eccles.
Georgina Pellant -
17th May 2023 
