Police seize 'Tesco bomb blackmailer'

My Account
Logout

Create an Evening Standard Account

Use your social network

Save time by using your existing account to sign in to Evening Standard

We'll never share your information or post anything to your account without your permission

Welcome! Sign in here

Use your social network

Save time by using your existing account to sign in to Evening Standard

We'll never share your information or post anything to your account without your permission

Forgot your password ?

Registration

* indicates fields that are mandatory

Email *

Password *

Confirm Password *

First name *

Surname *

Postcode *

Country *

Mobile phone number

Username *

Gender *

Year of birth *

When you sign up...

You will have access to all our online competitions, discounted offers and can post comments on our site.

You will also receive The Weekender newsletter sent every Thursday - it’s full of fantastic offers and ideas for the weekend. You can update your email preferences in your account page when you log in.

Other newsletters and emails

Homes & Property Newsletter - Yes I want to receive the weekly email with all the latest news on property in the capital

Occasionally we would also like to send you relevant emails detailing specific offers either from ourselves or carefully selected partners. If you would prefer not to receive these then please tick the appropriate boxes below. We will never pass on your details.

I do not want to receive additional offers and information from the Evening Standard

I do not want to receive additional offers and information sent by Evening Standard on behalf of carefully selected partners

Terms and Conditions

* I have read, understood and agree to be bound by the terms and conditions of Evening Standard

Registration

Mail Sent for Registration Confirmation.

A confirmation email has been sent. Please activate your account by clicking on the activation link sent in your mail box.

Unemployed Phillip McHugh, 51, of Clitheroe, Lancashire, was charged with two counts of blackmail and making bomb hoaxes and was due to appear in court today.

The threats on 14 July forced 14 Tescos to close across Britain, including one in Barnes, one in Hertfordshire, and one in Bury St Edmunds.

scroll down for more

Alert: Tesco at Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, was among these closed

It brought chaos to thousands of shoppers on one of the busiest weekends of the summer.

Supermarkets across the country received a series of bomb threat letters demanding huge sums of money.

The letter warned they would face "direct actionî if cash was not handed over.

Police ordered evacuations at every store where the letters were sent.

More demands were received the following Monday, but had been delayed in the post.

The threats sparked a major police investigation involving forces nationwide.

They came in the wake in the attempted terror bombings in Glasgow and London. But police have ruled out any link to extremists and today confirmed they believed it was a blackmail attempt.

Hertfordshire police said they arrested the man in Clitheroe on Monday.

A spokeswoman said: "No one else is being sought in relation to this offence."

McHugh was due to appear at Stevenage Magistrates' court today charged with two counts of blackmail and two counts of making bomb hoaxes.

The closures are thought to have cost the company more than £2million in lost sales.