A SOLDIER who called a bomb hoax after he was kicked out of a nightclub has appeared in court.

Royal Engineer Jack Peters, aged 23, from Richmond, North Yorkshire, was kicked out of the Chapel in Salisbury at around 2am on July 3.

Outside, he told a bystander that there was bomb in the building that was about to explode.

It was reported to a police officer on patrol in Milford Street that night – PC Martin Batchelor.

The young soldier told PC Batchelor: “At 2.30am, that’s going bang!”

The police took Peters into the club and asked him to show them where the device was.

Prosecutor Vyvyan Thatcher told Salisbury magistrates on Friday: “clearly, there was no bomb.”

The club was not evacuated at the time, but the doors were closed to stop more people entering while investigations were in progress. The bar next door, Illuminate, also closed its doors.

Judge Simon Cooper said: “These hoaxes cause great fear, concern and consternation.

“You persisted in it. It may well be that you were in drink at the time but you had three opportunities to cancel and retract what you were saying but you did not and people took you seriously and were frightened, no doubt.

“You are a man of good character, a serving soldier and you have pleaded guilty. You will get credit for all these things.”

The case was adjourned while a pre-sentence report is produced.

Peters will be sentenced at Salisbury on September 9.