TWO men have been charged over terrorism hoax calls which led to a North Yorkshire town being locked down by armed police.

The centre of Knaresborough was cordoned off by armed police for more than three hours on October 16 last year, after North Yorkshire Police received a number of calls reporting an “immediate threat to members of the public” at the Paragon Pizza takeaway in High Street.

A spokeswoman for North Yorkshire Police said a 23-year-old man from the Chapeltown area of Leeds was yesterday charged with three offences of communicating a bomb hoax, and a 22-year-old man, also from the Chapeltown area, was charged with perverting the course of justice and making a false statement to obtain insurance.

Both men are due to appear at Harrogate Magistrates’ Court in June.