A MAN has appeared in court today charged with causing the bomb hoax that caused rush-hour chaos in central Ipswich yesterday.

Colin Adwent

A MAN has appeared in court today charged with causing the bomb hoax that caused rush-hour chaos in central Ipswich yesterday.

Martin Lambourne, 52, of no fixed abode made a short appearance at South East Suffolk Magistrates' Court.

He was remanded in custody to appear before the court again next Tuesday.

Civic Drive was closed to traffic shortly before 8am after a suspicious object was discovered outside South East Suffolk Magistrates' Court in Elm Street.

Police officers also closed off Elm Street as a precaution and motorists were forced to find alternative routes. The police station, opposite the magistrates' court, was also evacuated after the discovery of the suspect suitcase.

A bomb disposal team arrived to examine it shortly before 9am. It declared the area safe by 9.30am.

An hour later police arrested a suspect they believed had sparked the bomb hoax.

He was due to be interviewed at Ipswich police station throughout yesterday.

Police set up their Gold Command system to deal with the alert, which was treated seriously because of the protests in London yesterday over today's G20 Summit involving world leaders.

During yesterday's drama in central Ipswich prisoners in the town's police station cells were distributed to other stations across the county.

Children from St Matthew's School, on the other side of Civic Drive, were taken into the nearby church for safety.

Police officers were patrolling the cordon and police cars were directing traffic which was backed up to the Willis building.

About 30 solicitors trying to get into Elm Street, to the court or offices in the area, were having to wait at the cordon and were speculating on the nature of the package.

Bomb disposal experts from Colchester arrived at the scene at 8.40am.