Embed from Getty Images

British Transport Police say the 16 month jail term for a commuter making a bomb threat on a packed train should be seen as a warning to others.

Shiraj Niranjan Jayasuriya’s bomb hoax on September 11th last year led to 500 rush hour trains being cancelled and thousands of rail travellers being delayed.

Jayasuriya from Wulfstan Street, White City has been sentenced at Blackfriars Crown Court (21st January) after pleading guilty.

He pulled the emergency levers as the train he was travelling on approached London Bridge during the evening rush hour.

The court heard he was abusive to rail staff trying to reset the alarms and said there were ‘bombs everywhere.’

He told the police he wanted ‘London destroyed.’

Chief Superintendent Paul Brogden, B Division Commander of British Transport Police, said:

We take all threats seriously and today’s sentencing shows that we will prosecute people who threaten our transport network.

There were widespread disruptions to the station and to thousands of passengers on the day and I welcome the sentence handed down.