'Distress' at powder-filled letters

Rogers sent a number of letters to Sheffield Town Hall

A man jailed for sending a letter containing a white powder to a council official caused "distress and anxiety" to town hall staff, police have said.

Roy Rogers was starting a two-and-a-half year sentence on Thursday after a court heard how he sent a powder-filled letter to the chief executive of Sheffield City Council.

South Yorkhire Police confirmed that Rogers, 56, of Bluebell Close, Wincobank in Sheffield had sent a series of letters to the official, Bob Kerslake.

He also sent a letter containing powder to a social security office.

No gloves

Rogers wrote to Derbyshire Police saying he had been a "naughty boy".

In a letter, he said: "I sent envelopes with white powder in them and forgot to wear gloves."

He said he had been watching a news item about an anthrax scare in Washington DC.

Rogers sent another powder-laced letter to the social security office in West Street, Sheffield threatening to burn the building down.

The package caused distress to staff at the Town Hall

Bob Kerslake
Sheffield City Council

This letter also contained his home address.

Rogers followed this up with a final letter to Sheffield Town Hall.

He was arrested outside the Peace Garden in Sheffield by officers who recognised his pink Mohican haircut and camouflage dress.

Arresting officer PC Shakeel Ahmed, said Rogers was brandishing a bayonet and two other knives when they tackled him as he tried to get on a bus.

Flame thrower

Officers found his home was booby trapped with a gas cylinder rigged to the letterbox as a flame-thrower.

PC Ahmed said Rogers was well known to the police and had a number of previous convictions for sending nuisance letters.

He said: "Mr Rogers acted very irresponsibly in the wake of the recent anthrax cases in America.

"He caused a lot of distress and anxiety to the people involved."

Offensive weapon

Rogers admitted two counts of sending a substance with the intention of inducing a person to believe it might be contaminated.

He also admitted affray and possessing an offensive weapon.

Mr Kerslake said: "The letter sent to the Town Hall was one of a number of letters sent by Mr Rogers.

"The package caused distress to staff at the Town Hall who received it and we are pleased that decisive action has been taken against the perpetrator."