A man has pleaded guilty to making a series of bomb hoaxes around Croydon and Sutton

Christopher Butterfield, 63 of Tadworth, pleaded guilty to six counts of bomb hoax at Croydon Magistrates' Court on February 26.

He has been remanded in custody to appear at Croydon Crown Court on a date yet to be arranged.

Butterfield was arrested in Surrey on Monday, 24 February and charged the following day.

The arrest followed a joint operation between the Met and Surrey Police following six separate bomb threats.

These were:

  • On Sunday, February 16 at approximately 11.45am, Met officers attended a supermarket in Beddington Lane, Beddington
  • On Monday, February 17 at approximately 1.50pm, Met officers attended a supermarket in Beddington Lane, Beddington
  • On Friday, February 21 at approximately 11.30am, Surrey Police attended a supermarket in Banstead High Street, Banstead
  • On Friday, February 21 at approximately 11.00am, Surrey Police attended a shop in Sutton High Street, Sutton
  • On Friday, February 21 at approximately 4.30pm, Surrey Police attended a supermarket in Kiln Lane, Epsom
  • On Saturday, February 22, at approximately 4.20pm, Met officers attended a shop in Valley Retail Park, Croydon

Following the threats, the stores were evacuated, officers attended and searched as a precaution. All incidents were deemed non-suspicious hoaxes.