Bombmaker faces jail over bitter feud with fish company

● Man created an arsenal of incendiary devices at his council flat

A b o m b m a k e r t u r n e d h i s council flat into an explosives f a c t or y a f t e r he l a unched a bitter feud against a fish company.

Stephen Cannon, 39, made an arsenal of incendiary devices from fireworks and potassium carbonate at his home in Barbauchlaw Avenue, Armadale, West Lothian.

He blew them up in woodl a n d t o t e s t t h e i r e f f e c t i ve - ness, and taught others how to make them.

C a n n o n u s e d t h e h o m e - m a d e o r d n a n c e t o t a r g e t employees of Livingston firm Ruskim Seafoods.

Po l i c e s a i d h i s c a m p a i g n c a m e t o a h e a d w h e n f i v e home- made incendiary devices were placed around a car p a r ke d i n De c h mont , Wes t Lothian, leading to panic and the village’s Main Street being evacuated.

O f f i c e r s s w o o p e d o n C a n n o n’s f l a t i n a c o u n c i l housing estate i n Armadale on Tuesday 14 June last year, where they discovered “potentially explosive and flammable materials”.

T h e E x p l o s i ve O r d i n a n c e Disposal Unit was called to the property in Barbaughlaw Avenue “as a precaution”, police said at the time.

C a n n o n i s n ow f a c i n g

j a i l

0 Stephen Cannon outside Livingston Sheriff Court after pleading guilt y in court to the campaign, which was described by police as “reckless and dangerous”.

Detectives b elieve Cannon got involved in a dispute with a director of Ruskim.

Police acted after five plast i c b ottles f i l l ed with explo - sive material were discovered under the car in Dechmont’s Main Street on 6 June last year. I t i s u n d e r s t o o d t h e c a r belonged to an employee of Ruskim.

Cannon admitted making the devices on numerous occasions and testing the chemical “bombs” i n nearby woodlands, Livingston Sheriff Court heard.

Sentence was deferred.