“Sick joke” bomb scare rocks Inca

Inca Guardia Civil were last night hunting for the practical joker who at 9a.m. yesterday morning called to report a bomb in one of the town's 11 banks was primed to explode at 10.20a.m. A massive security operation swung into action as the Guardia Civil evacuated banks and shops in the town centre which was also closed to traffic while police and the bomb squad raced against the clock to find the bomb. Some local residents who were also forced to abandon their city centre flats took no notice as police informed them over the intercom that they had to leave. However others took the warnings seriously and were extremely disturbed by the “sick joke” according to one Inca resident. “At first we were really scared, but we eventually realised it was all a joke.” Scores of employees and shoppers were herded back behind police cordons as the bomb squad with sniffer dogs moved in to comb the area. The Local Police were also involved and the fire service was present, on full alert. The bomb squad completed its search by 11.20a.m., at which point bank and shop employees were allowed to return to work and Inca gradually returned to normal. Once caught, the practical joker could find himself sentenced to jail, with the police having the last laugh.