Wetherspoons doorman planted fake bomb in popular pub and alerts police so he could ‘play the hero’

In November 2021, Stephen Edward Oliphant claimed he found a suspicious device in a toilet basin at Wetherspoons pub The Hat and Feathers, in Seaham, County Durham. After raising the alarm and alerting police, the pub was evacuated and a specialist bomb disposal unit arrived at the scene.

After investigating the “device” it was found to be a hoax, made from items including a bingo dabber. Following forensic analysis, the DNA of Mr Oliphant was found on components in the device and more was found when his home was searched by police.