Man charged with Oracle bomb hoax

Sergio Costa will appear at Reading Magistrates Court next month

A MAN has been charged after a suspicious package was found at the Oracle shopping centre in Reading last month.

Sergio Costa, aged 46, of Elm Park Road, Reading, was charged on Wednesday, July 4, with one count of bomb hoax – placing an article with intent to cause fear of explosion or ignition.

He was arrested the previous day, on Tuesday, July 3.

The charge is in relation to an incident which occurred at the Oracle shopping centre in Bridge Street, Reading on Tuesday, June 12.

A suspicious package was found in an area of the shopping centre at around 9am - and resulted in the closure of the centre for a day.

Police cordons were put in place while officers investigated and restaurants and shops in The Oracle and The Riverside were evacuated.

An army bomb disposal unit later arrived at the site and a bomb disposal robot was sent in.

Mr Costa has been bailed to appeal at Reading Magistrates Court on Thursday, August 2.