Soldier's Bomber Costume Causes Alarm

LONDON (AP) -- A drunken soldier sparked a security alert when he left a costume party dressed as a suicide bomber, wearing a turban, false beard and a combat jacket stuffed with pretend explosives, British police said Friday.

A member of the public called police after seeing the sergeant in his costume walking along a road near the Aldershot army base in southern England on Wednesday.

Fifteen police squad cars, armed officers, dog handlers and members of the Royal Military Police were called to the alert.

The soldier, a member of the Coldstream Guards who had been attending a costume party celebrating his regiment's role in the 1815 battle of Waterloo, was arrested and spent the night in custody.

He was charged with a public order offense and fined around $150, police said.