SURROUNDING homes and businesses had to be evacuated on Thursday and a police cordon erected after a 31-year-old man threw items from the window of his Rhyl flat and threatened to blow it up in a gas explosion, a special court heard today (Saturday).

There was no application for bail and Lee Michael Jones, of Windsor Street, near the town centre of Rhyl, was sent in custody to Mold crown court where he will appear on March 27.

No indication of plea was given to four charges – using or threatening violence, causing a public nuisance by hurling items into the street and threatening to cause a gas explosion, a public order offence, and on January 25 having a crossbow, an offensive weapon, in the street.

Sarah Marsh, in a 10-minute hearing at Llandudno court, applied for the remand in custody and for the case to be transferred to the crown court. She alleged that last month Jones had been spotted on CCTV walking up and down the street with a crossbow.

Defence solicitor Robert Vickery did not object to the application for the case to be heard at the crown court.