Man in court over Paisley 'explosion'

A man has appeared in court over an incident which saw a home made explosive device blown up in a controlled explosion following a police probe.

A bomb disposal team were called out to deal with a suspect package which was found in Paisley, Renfrewshire, on Friday night.

The specialist unit carried out a controlled explosion in the early hours of Saturday.

Police sealed off the area, in the town's Well Street, after residents reported hearing a loud bang at a flat.

Neighbouring flats at the block were evacuated of residents and the road was closed from its junction with Wellmeadow Street while specialists blew up the device at around 6.30am.

The package, understood to be a home-made explosive, was taken a safe distance away from tenements and set off by experts.

During the police probe in to the incident, suspicion fell on Paisley man Allan Hamilton.

The 35-year-old was arrested and charged and held in police custody for two nights before appearing at Paisley Sheriff Court today.

He made no plea to the single charge against him during the private hearing, where he was represented by defence solicitor Paul Lynch of law firm Tod and Mitchell.

Prosecutors claim Hamilton broke Section 2 of the Explosive Substances Act 1883 - an offence which carries life imprisonment as a punishment.

That section of the Act states that someone who "unlawfully and maliciously causes by any explosive substance an explosion of a nature likely to endanger life or to cause serious injury to property shall, whether any injury to person or property has been actually caused or not, be guilty of an offence and on conviction on indictment shall be liable to imprisonment for life."

Sheriff James Spy continued the case for prosecutors to investigate further and released Hamilton on bail.

He is due to go on trial before a jury in due course but no future court dates have been set.

A police spokeswoman said: "Around 2050 hrs on Friday 9 June 2017, police received a report of an explosion in Well Street, Paisley.

"Emergency services, including the EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal), attended. No-one was injured and EOD later carried out a controlled explosion."