A man who threatened to shoot down a helicopter and told police to evacuate a North Yorkshire town has received a 12-week suspended prison sentence.

For three hours, Craig Charles Woodall made a series of 999 calls that so alarmed the emergency services that Network Rail stopped trains through Selby and 13 police officers including specialist officers had to be deployed to deal with him instead of other incidents, York magistrates heard.

Among the 999 calls Woodall made was one giving the police 47 seconds to evacuate Selby, York magistrates heard.

Others included the words: "If you send a helicopter I will shoot it down. The weapon I have is capable."

"Members of the public are going to die, members of the public will suffer because of the police." and "I have have a weapon I need it for my own safety. I am very good with it."

His solicitor Kristian Cavanagh told them Woodall had "just flipped". At an earlier hearing, the lawyer said the 23-year-old had been drinking and his mental health had deteriorated in the weeks before the incident.

Magistrates said it was difficult to determine how much Woodall's actions had cost the emergency services and that he was "lucky" they were not being asked to make Woodall pay the bill.

"It could have been substantial," senior magistrate Paul Nuttall said. "We believe this is so serious it does pass the custodial threshold."

They gave Woodall, of Main Street, Hillam, a 12-week prison sentence suspended for two years on condition he did 200 hours' unpaid work. He must also pay a £85 statutory surcharge. He admitted making threats to kill and wasting police time.

He had been remanded in custody since the incident in the early hours of Saturday April 4.

Mr Cavanagh said the time in prison "has had a sobering and a salutary effect on this young man."

Magistrates heard Woodall claimed to be at Selby Swing Bridge. Officers were sent there at 3.52am and trained negotiators and fire and ambulance crews were put on standby. But when he was finally located at 7.15am, he was unarmed, and in Thief Lane, Barlow.