A 15-year-old schoolboy was charged in Essex yesterday in connection with the discovery of a home-made explosive device at a school in Braintree, Essex, which prompted the evacuation of some 1,000 pupils.
The boy faces two charges of being responsible for a bomb hoax and possessing an explosive substance for unlawful purposes. He is due to appear before a youth court in the near future.
The emergency began shortly after 10 a.m. when a pupil told teachers at Notley High School that he had discovered an explosive device, contained in a jam jar, on a shelf in the male toilets.
Insp Joe Wrigley, of Essex police, said detectives were examining the possibility that the jar device, with wires sticking out of the top, may have been made with substances stolen from the school's chemistry laboratory.
The school was quickly evacuated and most of the 1,000 pupils sent home.
About 60 pupils were looked after at a local primary school until their parents arrived.
Bomb disposal experts then moved in and carried out two controlled explosions on the device.
It was not known yesterday how much damage the explosions caused to the school.
"Bomb disposal experts blew up the device and it was found to contain some explosive material," a spokesman for Essex police said.
Essex police also confirmed that the device did not have a detonator. However, a note left next to the device warning that six more devices had been planted around the school compounded the emergency. It said that "these bombs would cause disaster," said Essex police.
By late afternoon, a police search of the school failed to find any more devices. The school is due to reopen today.
Notley High School takes boys between 11 and 16 years and with about 1,000 pupils is one of the largest secondary schools in Britain.
Police intend to question pupils at the school about the incident over the next few days.
A spokeswoman for Essex police described the device found at the school as "crude" and said officers were still examining the substances contained in the jar.
She pointed out that the device did not have a detonator and could not have exploded. However, police were obviously concerned enough to evacuate the school.