Police station fire-threat man jailed

A man who threatened to set himself alight after pouring petrol over his head in a police station has been sent to prison for 11 months.

Mark Small, 38, of Hastings Close, Reading, Berkshire, caused the town's police station to be evacuated when he made the threat on 29 July.

Trained negotiators spent four hours trying to calm Small down as he begged officers to find out where his girlfriend was.

Small was sentenced at Reading Crown Court after admitting criminal damage and causing a public nuisance.

'Truly stupid'

Hiliary Sheard, for Mr Small, said: "His actions were purely a bargain attempt to try and see his ex-girlfriend.

"Small had such a history with the police but still went to them in his hour of need.

"He chose an extraordinary misguided way of doing that."

Sentencing, Judge Stanley Spence said: "It seems to me that this was a mixture of drink and genuine emotional distress resulting in a truly stupid act.

"But what must be said is that there was a great deal of inconvenience caused to the public and the police for four hours until you came to your senses."