A pair of "senseless and immature" 14-year-old girls have been convicted after a bomb hoax on board a packed Tube train.
The girls were on board a southbound Victoria line train heading from Green Park to Victoria, when one of them sparked panic by shouting that there was a bomb on board the train.
The hoax was carried out on a packed Underground train just before 3.30pm on October 25 last year.
One of the girls, from Brent , suddenly screamed to the carriage "she's got a bomb!" She kept shouting the same ting again and again at passengers in the carriage, who began to panic.
Her actions caused such panic that passengers began to brace themselves and cower in the corners and crouch down, anticipating an imminent explosion and "terrified their lives were going to end".
One commuter was so freaked out by the warning that they tried to use the internal doors to switch between cars on the moving Victoria line train.
As soon as the train reached Victoria, the emergency stop cord was pulled and emergency services rushed to the scene, while it became apparent to everyone on the train that it had been a hoax.
The girl's friend, also 14, was grabbed by the sleeve by a woman trying to prevent the girls from running away.
At this point the girl, from Lewisham, started verbally abusing the woman before spitting in her eye.
The girls managed to escape but British Transport Police officers managed to track them down and charge the youths.
A 15-year-old girl from Harrow was also charged with communicating false information, but was cleared of this in court. None of the girls involved in the case can be named because of their age.
The teenager from Brent was brought in to Willesden Magistrates' Court on October 4 having being found guilty of communicating false information.
She was handed a youth rehabilitation order for 12 months and also ordered to pay a £20 victim surcharge.
Her friend appeared before South London Youth Court on September 14, after being found guilty of assault by beating and criminal damage.
She was sentenced to an eight-month youth rehabilitation order and had to pay a victim surcharge of £40.
Inspector Andy Hickling, from the BTP, said: “I am outraged by the actions of these senseless and immature girls. On a busy Tube carriage one of them shouted there was a bomb, causing passengers to be terrified that their lives were about to end.
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“Given the tragic and harrowing events during 2017, it is impossible to understand why these girls thought this was a clever idea.
“I am grateful to the officers that were on scene swiftly to reassure the public and make sure that these girls were arrested.”
Siwan Hayward from Transport for London added: “The actions of these girls was foolish and created widespread fear amongst passengers. I hope this conviction makes anyone think twice about their behaviour.”
