A man who threatened the family of a neighbour, who wasn't allowed to play mahjong with him, with a fake bomb has been sentenced to two years in prison, Shanghai Evening Post reports.

Zhou Kai often invited his neighbour, Zhu, to his mahjong games, but Zhu's family always refused to let him play.

The frustrated Zhou decided to take revenge. Inspired by a TV show, he made a "bomb" and placed it in a shoebox outside Zhu's mother's home.

Then he called the mother and said that someone was sending Zhu a pair of shoes.

But after Zhu's mother opened the strange box, she left it outside the door.

Zhou called again demanding 50,000 yuan (US$6,040). He warned the family not to report the incident to police, or he would set off the bomb.

Zhu's mother called police immediately. Zhou was arrested that night.

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