A MAN attempting to steal mail from a Radcliffe bank led to a major bomb scare in the town, a court heard.

A security cordon was thrown around the Royal Bank of Scotland in Blackburn Street, on Monday, April 19, after staff found a device that had been posted through the letter box.

Mark Andrew Whitworth, aged 35, of Haworth Court, Radcliffe, admitted attempting to steal mail with the device, before Bury magistrates on Tuesday .

Whitworth was caught on CCTV placing the device on the letter box of the bank on the night of Friday, April 16.

Officers from the Royal logistics Corps bomb disposal unit were also called to the scene, and an explosive expert entered the bank at noon, but no explosives were found.

Whitworth also admitted assaulting his sister-in-law in Radcliffe on May 3. He was bailed and will be sentenced on June 11.

Following his arrest, Whitworth told police that he was short of money and made the device, hoping that he could collect packages from inside the bank using sticky tape attached to a wire.

Roger Taylor, defending Whitworth, told the court: "The defendant tried to fish out letters with double sided tape. It didn't work and there was no intention to have the centre of Radcliffe cordoned off by the emergency services."

Whitworth also admitted assaulting his sister-in-law in Radcliffe on May 3. He was bailed and will be sentenced on June 11.