A young man has been put under probation for three years after making a prank call alleging there was a bomb at an entertainment club.

Two years ago, the 22-year-old was charged with filing a false police report and misuse of communication devices.

The accused admitted that on 3 May 2013, he made an anonymous phone call to the police, telling them that there was a bomb at Numero Uno Club in Ta' Qali.

He said that on the day he had gone to the feast of St Joseph in Rabat to take some photos and when he got there he used a public telephone box to make the call. When the police asked for his details, he hung up. 

He then saw a policeman next to the church of Ta Giezu, and told him that someone had made an anonymous phone call from the telephone box, asking whether the man could be caught. The policeman replied that most often callers are.

After he took photographs of the feast, he went back to the telephone box, where some people were talking to the police and he joined the conversation to check what was being said.

In court, the accused said that he had read there was a party at the club on the day, and he had thought of making the phone call. He admitted that it was a mistake and a bad joke and that it was the first time he had made such a call.

The young man was found guilty of the two charges, and placed under probation for three years.

Magistrate Consuelo Scerri Herrera presided. Inspector Geoffrey Azzopardi led the prosecution while Lawyer Arthur Azzopardi represented the accused.