A TEENAGER who was 'inspired' by the Columbine High School massacre has been jailed after making bogus bomb threats.

A number of Dorset schools were among hundreds targeted by George Duke-Cohan, who also phoned in a fake report of a hijacked aircraft while under investigation.

The 19-year-old, of Watford, contacted Avonbourne Trust and St Martin's in Bournemouth, as well as Lytchett Minster School in Poole, in March.

Avonbourne Trust has four academies; Avonwood Primary, Avonbourne College, Harewood College and Avonbourne Sixth Form.

Duke-Cohan was jailed for three years by Judge Richard Foster at Luton Crown Court on Friday.

The Recorder of Luton told him: "You knew exactly what you were doing and why you were doing it, and you knew full well the havoc that would follow.

"You were playing a cat-and-mouse game with the authorities.

"You were playing a game for your own perverted sense of fun in full knowledge of the consequences."

In his sentencing remarks, the judge added: "The scale of what you did was enormous."

The defendant pleaded guilty to three counts of making hoax bomb threats in September.

His emails threatened that an explosive device would be detonated if payment was not made.

One particular email said: "This is a message to everyone. We've sent in a student with a bomb.

"The bomb is set to go off in three hours' time. If you do not send 5,000 dollars USD to payments@veltpvp.com. If you do not send the money, we will blow up the device."