A NUISANCE jobseeker who sparked a major alert in Bolton town centre has been cleared of planting a hoax bomb.

The alert, which caused several buildings to be evacuated and required bomb disposal experts to be called out, was started when Helmat Ahmed left a torch in the Jobcentre Plus car park.

Prosecutors yesterday chose to offer no evidence against Ahmed, who was charged with planting a hoax bomb in Queen Street on November 5 last year.

Bolton Crown Court was told that Ahmed had "difficulties" and had repeatedly made a nuisance of himself at the job centre in Blackhorse Street.

The alarm was raised by staff members just before noon because a black and silver torch, with items glued to each end, had been left in the car park of Jobcentre Plus.

Bomb disposal experts had to be called in, with staff at Bolton Library and surrounding shops evacuated while a controlled explosion was carried out by a military robot.

The bus station was also evacuated.

Recorder Mark Ainsworth said in returning a not guilty verdict that Ahmed's actions, whatever motivated them, had caused "a lot of people to be very upset".

Sarah Johnston, prosecuting, formally offered no evidence in the case and explained that Ahmed, aged 29, had made no warning call to anybody alerting them of the device left in the car park.

While investigations were being carried out, the court was told that Ahmed was in another job centre, asking if anyone had handed in his torch.

Miss Johnston said: "This defendant, the crown suggest, has repeatedly made a nuisance of himself at the job centre in Blackhorse Street.

"He has behaved on a number of occasions in a way that has caused harassment.

"The prosecution cannot say that the defendant's intention was to cause harassment on November 5.

"It may be that it was done by the defendant to cause fear.

"He has behaved in the past in a way that was to cause harassment."

She applied for a restraining order, which was granted, and bars Ahmed, of Derby Street, Daubhill, from entering Jobcentre Plus, or its car park, for the next two years.

Recorder Mark Ainsworth said: "You must understand that whatever happened on November 5 last year, whatever your intention might have been, a lot of people were very upset.

"So I am making this order to protect those people."

He added: "This is a difficult and sensitive case and I think the crown have taken the proper course in this case."