A FORMER teacher has admitted a Novichok hoax at Pembroke Castle.

John Ap Evans, 67, from Northgate Street, Pembroke, stood accused of putting bottles of a hoax noxious substance in Wogan's Cavern at Pembroke Castle on five separate occasions in July 2018.

The incident in Pembroke came four months after Novichok was used in the poisoning of Sergei and Yulia Skripal in Salisbury, England in March 2018.

Evans was initially due to stand trial next month, but changed his plea to guilty at a hearing at Swansea Crown court on Friday, January 8. He is now due to be sentenced at the beginning of February.

A previous hearing at Westminster Magistrates Court last July, heard that two bottles with the word 'Novichok' labelled on them were placed in the cavern of the castle, an area which is open to the public.

The discovery of the bottles caused fear and the castle was evacuated, the court heard.

More were placed later in the month before police set up a covert camera.

Evans admitted five charges of placing a substance or thing likely to induce belief that it would contain a toxic substance.

He is due to be sentenced at Swansea Crown Court on February 1.