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Newcastle teenager appears in court charged with planning attack on college Newcastle teenager appears in court charged with planning attack on college
(about 4 hours later)
A teenager has appeared in court after allegedly planning an attack on a city college. A teenager has appeared in court accused of plotting an attack on his old college, armed with pipe bombs, a pistol and expanding bullets.
Liam Lyburd, 18, appeared before North Tyneside magistrates court charged with possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life, possessing ammunition with intent to endanger life, and five counts of possessing an explosive substance, namely a pipe bomb, with intent to endanger life. Liam Lyburd, 18, appeared before North Tyneside magistrates’ court on Thursday charged with possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life, possessing ammunition with intent to endanger life, and five counts of possessing an explosive substance, namely a pipe bomb, with intent to endanger life.
Lyburd, of Hamilton Place, Newcastle, spoke only to confirm his address and date of birth. No pleas were entered and he was remanded in custody to appear before Newcastle crown court on 20 November. The firearm charge related to alleged possession of a Glock pistol and the ammunition charge involved alleged possession of a number of hollow-point expanding bullets.
The estate where he lives, near the St James’s Park football stadium, was cordoned off on Monday while searches were carried out. Lyburd, from Newcastle, smiled at waiting photographers as he was escorted into the court from a prison van. During the hearing he spoke only to confirm his address and date of birth.
Police said later that serious harm was intended to be caused at Newcastle college. No pleas were entered and he was remanded in custody to appear before Newcastle crown court on 20 November.
Northumbria police said on Wednesday: “The investigation to date has revealed that there was intent to cause serious harm at Newcastle college. We are confident that we have prevented the incident from taking place.” The teenager was arrested on Monday at the terraced home he shares with his mother and sister near St James’ Park, Newcastle United’s football ground. Police had been called after a member of the public raised concerns about posts on social media.
The Newcastle Chronicle reported that the police investigation had started after posts on a social media site. Fifty neighbouring residents were evacuated from their homes while the army bomb disposal team searched Lyburd’s house. Some residents were not allowed to return to their homes until Tuesday morning and had to sleep in Westgate community college overnight. On Thursday morning, police boarded up the ground-floor windows and door of Lyburd’s property.
The Newcastle college principal, Carole Kitching, said students should attend the college as usual and that officers would be patrolling the campus. Police said later that serious harm was intended to be caused at Newcastle college, a large further education institution in the city with over 18,000 students. “We are confident that we have prevented the incident from taking place,” said Northumbria police in a statement.
Kitching said: “I would like to reassure staff, students and their families that their safety has been paramount to us and the college remains a safe place to study. The college confirmed that Lyburd had “briefly” been enrolled as a student for around a month in September 2012. He was supposed to do a general access course, which is designed for those with no other qualifications.
“Officers will be on patrol around the campus to offer reassurance and anyone who is concerned can speak to an officer or contact the college’s welfare team. On Thursday the college principal, Carole Kitching, sent an email to all staff insisting “the safety of everyone on campus has been paramount to us and the college remains a safe place to study”.
“People should attend the college as usual. We have an extensive network of CCTV cameras monitoring key areas inside buildings and across the campus and our security staff are on duty 24 hours a day.” She said: “Our security staff are on duty 24 hours a day and monitor the campus through an extensive network of CCTV cameras in key areas inside buildings and across the campus. And of course all staff, students and visitors should be wearing visible ID badges to help keep everyone safe.”
Notable former pupils of the college include Ant and Dec, the comedian Ross Noble, X Factor winner Joe McElderry and Perrie Edwards from Little Mix. Student Kelly Craig, 18, said: “It’s surreal. I can’t believe something like that would happen here.” Fellow pupil Chelsea Anderson, 17, said: “I think it’s pathetic, to think that someone would want to bomb a place where young people are just trying to get an education.”
Lyburd’s arrest came after officers and a bomb disposal squad cordoned off Hamilton Place and evacuated around 50 homes in the Arthur’s Hill area of the city on Monday. Georgia Christie, 19, said she heard on Facebook rather than through teachers or lecturers. “Nobody here told us anything. They should have told us what was going on,” she said. “It’s quite scary. I remember hearing about that bomb threat at the university in the summer and didn’t think it could happen here.”
Police had received a report of concern for a person from neighbours at around 11.30am. Officers searched a property before evacuating the area. Last month, a Russian student at Newcastle University was jailed after making explosives in his room on campus, sparking a major security scare.
Further searches were carried out at the premises overnight and officers found suspected explosive devices, a firearm and a quantity of ammunition. The items are now undergoing a full forensic examination. Vladimir Aust, 19, was arrested after a highly explosive chemical was found in his room in June, prompting the campus to be evacuated.
Officers worked with other emergency services at the scene and the people evacuated from their homes were housed in Westgate Community college overnight. Following completion of the searches, residents returned home on Tuesday morning. Lyburd was charged on Wednesday.
Newcastle college worked closely with police throughout their investigation.