A MAN unhappy at the length of time he'd been on the housing waiting list rang up the social housing provider and threatened to bomb its call centre.

Graham Alan Coles told a call handler he had placed two explosive devices at East Durham Homes’ Meridian Court premises, in Peterlee, County Durham, to “blow them all away”.

Durham Crown Court heard police were alerted and the centre, at Whitehouse Business Park, was evacuated as a precaution, on September 12, last year.

Jonathan Harley, prosecuting, said that same day Coles posted a message on an online forum in Peterlee saying he was going to arm himself and carry out a gun-type massacre.

He threatened to go and smash up all the computers and stab members of staff at the centre.

Coles was arrested and in interview made full admissions.

Mr Harley said Coles was subject to a county court injunction in March 2015 forbidding him from any contact capable of causing annoyance to anyone involved with East Durham Homes or living in their property.

His previous record of eight convictions for 19 offences included sending an email threatening to harm staff at the Department for Work and Pensions unless he was removed from their work programme, in April 2015.

The 28-year-old of Davies Walk, Horden, admitted making a hoax bomb threat and a further charge under the Malicious Communications Act, relating to the latest offences.

Jane Waugh, mitigating, said: "Effectively, this man has mental health issues, having suffered a head injury in 2012, after which he underwent surgery to stabilise his mind.

“When taking his medication he presents as a rational, reasonable person, but, at the time of the offences, he had not been taking his medication, and he couldn’t control his anger.

“He doesn’t have a history of actively harming anyone. He’s someone with a bad mouth rather than violent tendencies."

“These were awful threats and stem from his frustration and anger, which were brought to the surface when he wasn’t taking his medication.”

Miss Waugh said he had spent five months on remand in custody, his first spell behind bars, during which he has a 100-per cent behavioural record, attending various educational classes.

She urged Judge Christopher Prince to suspend the inevitable prison sentence.

But, imposing an immediate two-year sentence, Judge Prince told Coles: “You may not have caused any physical injury, but you will have caused some real concerns and psychological damage to people who would fear being made subject to your threats.”

He also made Coles subject of a restraining order, without limit of time, forbidding him from entering any business premises or customer service centre, or from communicating with anyone he knows or believes to be an employee of East Durham Homes.