Man jailed for making explosives in Hassocks flat

A man has been jailed for making explosives after a suspicious device was found in a block of flats.

David Smith, 51, of Belmont Close in Hassocks, West Sussex, was sentenced to 14 months in prison by the judge at Lewes Crown Court on Tuesday.

Middlewick House flats and the nearby area was cordoned off and a bomb disposal team was called after the discovery in January.

The road was evacuated for most of the day, Sussex Police said.

Smith was found guilty of making an explosive substance for an unlawful purpose and possessing an explosive substance for an unlawful purpose.