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An embarrassed Liverpool groom triggered a bomb scare at his wedding – so his bride-to-be would not find out he had bungled the booking.

Panicked Neil McArdle telephoned St George’s Hall to pretend an explosive had been left in the building where he was due to marry.

He even let his unwitting fiance turn up in her wedding dress, only to find the historic venue evacuated and swarming with police.

The 36-year-old today faced a jail sentence after admitting making the bomb hoax call.

McArdle, of Medbourne Crescent, Kirkby, had planned to marry his fiance Amy Williams at Liverpool Register Office, within the iconic listed building, on April 24 this year.

The date was pencilled in and the pair were given “right to marry” paperwork to complete in order to legalise proceedings.

But by time the big day arrived, the hapless lovebird realised he had not completed the forms and knew the venue was not officially booked.

Panicking, he went to a phone booth near his home on the morning of the supposed wedding and rang St George’s Hall.

He told the receptionist: “There’s a bomb in St George’s Hall and it will go off in 45 minutes”, before putting the phone down.

The hall was immediately put on lockdown and dozens of people inside were evacuated as police and a bomb disposal unit were sent to the scene.

The ECHO understands the bride and her wedding party arrived at the hall still believing the wedding would take place.

When the hall was re-opened around an hour later, with the groom present, it emerged there was no booking in the name of McArdle and Williams.

A source said: “He realised that he hadn’t filled this form in. But he hadn’t got the heart to tell his missus and her family.

“The whole wedding party turned up to this bomb scare and then they found out there was no actual booking.”

Enquiries led to McArdle being arrested and subsequently charged later that day with making a bomb hoax.

It is understood the husband-to-be made full and frank admissions to police, admitting he sparked the hoax in a bid to postpone the wedding and buy himself more time.

McArdle claimed to have made a number of unanswered phone calls from his mobile phone to St George’s Hall after the initial bomb scare to try and confess to the hoax.

Marie Harnick, the receptionist who answered the call, told the ECHO: “I never had a chance to ask anything. As soon as he said there was a bomb, he put the phone down. I told my manager and he said to ring the police and clear the building.

“It all happened very quickly.”

The ECHO was told that McArdle and Ms Williams have not married but are still together.

McArdle, who appeared in the dock at Liverpool Crown Court yesterday for a brief appearance, admitted a single charge of communicating false information with intent.

He will be sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court later this month.

A Merseyside police spokesman confirmed: “Emergency services were called at 8.57am on April 26 to a report of a bomb alert at St George's Hall.

“The building was immediately evacuated of all staff and visitors and a search lasting over an hour conducted until it was deemed safe for persons to re-enter.

“Enquiries led to a 36-year-old man being arrested and subsequently charged later that day with making a bomb hoax.”