A pensioner who was arrested following a gun scare at Hinchingbrooke Hospital in March last year will be sentenced next month having pleaded guilty to possessing firearms.

Roy Rickard, 72, from Little Staughton, was due to go on trial at Luton Crown Court this week, but today (Monday) he entered guilty pleas that were acceptable to the prosecution.

The most serious charge he faced - possessing a prohibited weapon - will not be proceeded with and Sarah Cohen, prosecuting, asked for a not guilty verdict to be entered in relation to that.

Rickard has been remanded on bail and will be sentenced at the same court on Apr 4.

He has pleaded guilty to two charges of possessing a firearm without a certificate on or before March 23 last year and two charges relating to ammunition. One of the weapons was a pneumatic air rifle.

The Huntingdon hospital was locked down for three hours on March 23 on the advice of police following a gun threat scare.

At the time, a hospital spokesman said staff had been shaken by the events but no one had been injured.