As bomb disposal teams were called into the town centre this weekend (July 25), with cordons around King Street, Friar Street and Jacksons Corner, many shoppers and staff will have felt a familiar knot in the stomach.
Eight years ago, The Oracle shopping centre was at the heart of a major bomb scare that shut down a large portion of central Reading and left thousands stranded.
On a June morning in 2018, a suspicious bag with wires protruding was found in the public toilets at The Oracle.
Police cleared the centre, pushed out a 100‑metre cordon and closed surrounding roads, including Bridge Street, Gun Street, Minster Street and Yield Hall Place.
Car parks were locked, buses diverted and the usual flow between Broad Street and the riverside came to a sudden halt.
For hours, the town watched from behind tape as an Army bomb disposal team moved in.
By late afternoon, officers were able to confirm what many had hoped: the device was not viable and there was no credible threat to public safety.
It was, in fact, a hoax. But the day’s disruption – from missed shifts and cancelled appointments to the simple anxiety of not knowing – underscored how seriously every report of a suspected device must be taken.
Later that year, at Reading Crown Court, the full story emerged.
Cleaner Sergio Costa admitted planting the fake bomb in a bid to cast himself as a hero in the drama he had created.
Sergio Costa was sentenced to two years in prison for the Oracle bomb hoax (Image: Thames Valley Police)
He was jailed for two years for causing a bomb hoax, with the judge highlighting the huge waste of emergency service resources and the impact on local people and businesses.
That episode now hangs over the latest scare. Police this Saturday were forced to close off the town centre streets, deploying specialist teams and urging patience while they investigate suspicious packages.
Now, a 51-year-old man has been charged after three ‘suspicious packages’ were found.
Alex Hilbourne of Russell Street, Reading, has been charged with one count of arson with intent to endanger life and two counts of possessing an item with intent to destroy or damage property.
He is appearing in Reading Magistrates’ Court today with the court outcome to follow.